Alpha Male Chosen One
by Kirsty Welsh
Summary: Sequel to Moonshadow. There's a werewolf hunter on the loose and a scientist hell bent on conducting experiments. The world isn't safe for the leader of the Bay Pack. Hutch pretty soon comes to understand exactly what Starsky is going through. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**This story is for Karen B, Gaillardia and Xtexan who all loved a curly wolf and encouraged me to write a sequel. Thank you so much ladies. And to my wonderful friend down under - Angie.**

**Written once again with ideas from Brook, without whome I doubt I could write and with encouragement from Shawne and Creedo, my Sissys in the basement.**

Disclaimer - you know the score - don't own 'em, don't make money from 'em, but love to play with them some.

**Chapter 1**

Hutch sprinted back to his car as Starsky started to run after the perp. They'd had a call to say there was a robbery going down at West Ocean Boulevard, on a row of expensive jeweler's shops. Shots had been fired and they should approach with caution. With Hutch driving, they'd just rounded the corner onto the Boulevard when two guys came running out of the jewelers' shop, a bag carried between them.

'Mines the ginger haired flake' Starsky said, springing out of the car even though it was still moving.

'Starsk!' Hutch shouted to the fleeing brunet. He paused, looking over his shoulder.

'They're too far off for me. Which is the one with ginger hair?'

Sparkling intense indigo blue eyes met his with something like humour. 'The one on the left. He's mine. You take the little guy on the right ok?' and with that the curly haired cop was off running full tilt along the road, gun in hand, with Hutch being hard pressed to drive the car, grab his gun and keep up with his fleeing partner. The blond cursed under his breath, screeched the vehicle to a halt and got out, his own gun aimed unerringly at the shorter of the two men who seemed to have forgotten what he'd been about and was standing looking on in awe.

As was the rest of the crowd. Starsky was running hell for leather up the hill past the shops and was closing fast on the second robber – the one with ginger hair. Despite the fact that the guy had had at least a quarter mile start on the cop, Starsky was fast closing the gap and still had breath enough left to yell 'Police, freeze.'

The perp looked over his shoulder at his fast approaching nemesis. Was the cop on some kind of speed? How the hell had he closed the gap between them so quickly? The ginger haired robber took another few steps, stumbled and fell onto his knees in the dirt on the ramp up to the freeway. In a second, Starsky was on him, flipping him over onto his stomach and pulling his hands behind his back to cuff him.

In the distance, Hutch saw his partner bring the robber down. He cuffed his own man with his hands around a lamp post, making sure the guy wasn't going anywhere, then got back in his car and drove up the ramp to squeal to a halt besides his partner.

Starsky was hardly even breathless from his mile long sprint, but Hutch could see that the brunet's eyes were closed and he seemed to be struggling with some inner demon. The blond got out of the car and came round to kneel in the dirt by his friend.

'Starsk? You ok buddy? Are ya hurt?'

The brunet shook his head, his teeth clamped down on his bottom lip.

'Then what?'

'Hutch, just get him away from me huh? NOW' Starsky said with a pent up intensity in his voice.

'Sure thing. Why?...oh!' Hutch watched as Starsky got up from the body he'd been straddling. When the robber had tripped and fallen into the dirt, he'd torn his knees and his hands and now blood flowed from some of the cuts. Starsky's throat was bobbing, his jaw muscles working as he tried hard to control himself.

'Just get him outa here. Take him back in the car and I'll walk' the brunet growled, his eyes suddenly an even brighter, almost luminous blue.

Hutch knew better than to argue and pulled the ginger haired man to his feet. The perp backed away from the curly haired cop and snickered. 'That is one sick guy ya know. He needs help. He….he sniffed at me an' growled. He's a fuckin' animal!'

The blond grinned. 'He sure is, an' if you don't shudup, I'm gonna make sure he gets another go at you. Now get in the car an' keep quiet.' Hutch put his hand on top of the man's head, loaded him into the vehicle and clicked the handcuff onto the door handle to make sure he didn't go anywhere. He turned to his partner.

'You gonna be ok buddy?'

Starsky's hands were clenched into fists and he was concentrating on his breathing. 'Just get them dealt with an' hurry back. Sun's goin' down.'

'Not for another hour. We've got time' Hutch said gently.

'I can smell it, Hutch. I need to get home, soon. Hurry huh?'

The blond nodded and as he drove back down to the small crowd gathered round the jewelry sore, he was already radioing for black and white assistance. Ten minutes later, the uniformed officers appeared and took over and Hutch drove back along the road to find the solitary figure looking out at the ocean.

The sea breeze ruffled Starsky's curls that seemed to have grown longer of late and as Hutch approached, the brunet turned impossibly bright blue eyes to him.

'Ready?' Hutch asked.

'Yeah. Hurry huh? I can feel it.'

'We'll get you home. Not a problem. Just get in the car.'

The curly haired cop got into the passenger seat and Hutch made no comment as Starsky took out his own handcuffs and cuffed himself through the door handle, snicking the bracelets into place. He sat back.

'We both know you can break 'em like they were made of butter. Why bother?' Hutch asked smoothly as he put the mars light on top of the car and started the sirens blazing. He gunned the engine and drove off quickly in the direction of their new house.

'Humour me. It makes me feel better' Starsky smiled grimly. 'It's worse tonight Blondie. The middle night of the full moon. I can feel it already and it aint even dark yet.'

'We'll get ya home in time.'

'I know. I'm just antsy. She was there again last night.'

'Who? Talicia?'

'Yeah. She was outside the window. I could hear her. They need me to be there with them. Next month for sure.'

'Well Perry says by next month you should have more control, it'll be your sixth moon.'

'Uh huh. If I make it that long.'

Hutch cast a look sideways. 'Don't talk like that, the hunters haven't been around for a while.'

'I know, but we have to be realistic.'

The blond snickered. 'Hmm, yeah, realistic right! My partner is a werewolf. Oh, and wait. Not just any werewolf. He's the guy who's meant to be leading the local pack of werewolves except he won't meet with 'em. How's that for being realistic?' The car pulled to a halt outside the house they'd bought together. It stood alone, on a quite stretch of road way out between Bay City and San Diego. The house was quiet, unassuming and stood looking out at the ocean. It was nothing fancy, but it did have the one prerequisite that they'd searched for and now, Starsky waited till his partner unlocked the cuffs from round his wrists and the two men hurried down to its basement.

Starsky chuckled. 'Not bad for starters.' He pushed open the door to the cellar and walked in, going straight to the large square cage set into the middle of the room. The guys had had a funny look from the delivery man when they'd bought the cage from the zoo suppliers. Its usual inhabitants should have been chimps, or gorillas, or one of the other large primates, but now Starsky walked into the cage and clanged the door closed behind him, turning and testing the lock to check. Hutch stood outside and sighed.

'I know I ask you this every time, but are you sure it's necessary?'

Starsky had fallen to his knees inside the locked cage and his hands were up to his head as though in pain. As the blond watched in the gathering gloom of the twilight, Starsky's hair seemed to grow marginally longer and he moaned slightly, swaying n the ground. Hutch took a step closer to the bars.

'Starsk, I asked if this was really necessary. You're hurtin' buddy. Let me in huh?'

In answer, the wolf that had been Dave Starsky threw itself against the bars, snarling and the brunet's hand shot out to catch Hutch just as he drew himself back. With a sigh, the blond backed up.

'Ok buddy. I'll leave ya to it. Try not to hurt yourself huh? Try to be Starsky.'

In reply, the brunet grabbed hold of the bars, the fight with his alter ego apparent on his handsome features.

'Tryin' 'Utch…damn….tough. Just go huh?'

Hutch backed out of the room, walked slowly up the stairs and poured himself a glass of whiskey while he waited for his girlfriend Perry to come around. He rested his head back, closed his eyes and remembered how this had first started. In his mind he was back in the cool, dark cave, Starsky and Perry with him. They'd found the brunet protecting the body of his dead lover, a hunter's silver bullet in his side – the same bullet that had killed the woman. They'd been told there was no cure for lycanthropy and yet Perry had still searched, asking her friends to help and finally they'd come up with one idea.

'_Starsk, Perry thinks she has a cure'._

'_Huh? I thought….'_

'_Yeah, me too buddy. But she thinks she can cure ya. Will you let her try?'_

_Perry knelt by the side of the two men. 'I don't know if it'll work love. It's only been done once before and it's um…. Well it'll be painful, and it's dangerous. You may not survive' she explained as gently as she could._

_Starsky snickered softly and then bent double as a bout of coughing took him unawares. Hutch soothed him until he was quiet again and the brunet fixed Perry with pain filled eyes._

'_I don't wanna ….live like this. Do what…. ya have to'._

'_You understand it could kill you?' she persisted._

'_What choice do I have?'_

'_We can work somethin' out' Hutch said desperately. 'You don't have to do this Starsk. We can find another way'._

'_No love, we can't' the woman murmured. 'If we're right, it's either now or never. We have to do it before the first moon, and that's' tomorrow night. And even then, this may not work. Are you sure Dave? Do you want me to do this?'_

_Starsk nodded. He could already feel the power surges coming back and he fought them with all his strength, beads of sweat forming on his brow._

'_Just do it huh?'_

'_OK, I need a few minutes to prepare, and honey…. It's gonna hurt, but I'll make it as quick as I can'._

'_What're you gonna do?' Hutch asked, trying to keep the fear from his voice._

'_I have an ointment here. It's made of much the same stuff as the tea I gave him to drink. Wolfsbane and Caraway with some Thistle and a smattering of Digitalis. Its very concentrated and I need to apply it at the right time'._

'_Which is?' the blond asked._

_Perry stopped her preparations and looked at the two men. 'I'm not going to kid you. When I said this was dangerous, I meant it. Dave, I need to make seven ritual cuts on your body; smallish ones, but deep so that you bleed. It's the bleeding that's the secret. If we can time it till you're at the point of death before I put on the ointment to stop you bleeding further, then it may, and I stress may, be a cure'._

'_You mean you're gonna try to kill him?' Hutch asked angrily._

'_No, never! But he has to be close to death for the ointment to work love. There's no easy way to do this'._

'_No, ya can't. I won't let ya. Find another way! We don't have any transfusion equipment. I'm the same blood type, but hell Perry! I could never give him enough to save him' Hutch yelled, his eyes wide with despair. He knew he'd prefer to have Starsky alive and wolf-like rather than dead and cured._

'_Hutch… Ken, love. I know this is hard for you, but he's a lycanthrop and he'll be able to heal himself, even if he's cured he..…'_

'_Blintz?' the word was no more than a whisper, but it stopped the blond in his tracks and he looked fondly down at his partner. 'Ya have to let her try. It's my life an' I can't live it like this. I've tried to kill ya twice an' I won't do it a third time. It's my life an' my choice, an' I say she should do it' Starsky's face creased with pain and he clutched at his side, the chains on the manacles rattling together as though to remind him of his predicament._

'_Starsk, I don't want ya to… to die' Hutch whispered 'there's gotta be another way.'_

'_Don't wanna die either buddy, but ya heard the lady. Now stand by an' let her do her stuff huh? Hutch…. for me?'_

_The flaxen haired cop heaved a breath and shuffled over until Perry had room to move._

'_Ok Dave. I can't pretend this won't hurt. The knife is silver, so that your body won't heal the cuts too quickly. Once I've cut you, you're gonna start to feel tired. I want you to stay with me as long as you can. Got that? I need to calculate when to stop the bleeding. Can you do that for me?' she smiled nervously._

_Starsky took hold of Hutch's hand and squeezed it. 'Yeah, stay awake. Not my strong point huh Blondie?'_

'_I'm here. Right here Starsk' Hutch said past the lump in his throat._

_Starsky looked back at the woman and grinned. 'Do your worst' he murmured and fixed his eyes on Hutch's._

_Perry took an eight inch long blade from her bag. The silver glinted dully in the candlelight as she examined it. With the pot of ointment already opened, she leaned forward and started to chant some ancient words under her breath as she weaved magical symbols above the brunet's body. Her face was relaxed. Totally composed now that she was back in the world of black magic and dark arts, Perry concentrated on weaving her spell. For long moments she muttered the archaic, unknown words softly, her hand signs at once beautiful and mystical - a ballet born of need. Finally she looked down at her patient._

'_Ready?'_

'_As I'll ever be' the brunet replied calmly._

'_Seven cuts, remember?' Perry brought the knife up and carefully she made two cuts one on either side of the cop's neck over his jugular. Starsky hissed in pain and squeezed Hutch's hand harder, but refused to cry out as next the woman made two more incisions down the length of his forearms from the inside of his elbow to his wrists. The blood started to well out to drip onto the sandy floor of the cave. Next came two more cuts at his ankles on the inside and finally she poised the blade over the brunet's heart. The silver flashed as she cut deeply into the olive toned flesh and Starsky could no longer contain the scream. His body writhed under the onslaught as Hutch soothed his forehead and tried to keep him still._

_The blood flowed freely now from all seven cuts to mingle with the grains of sand on the ground. The brunet was loosing his ruby red life force fast; far faster than either Hutch or Perry had imagined and slowly the indigo eyes started to close._

'_Starsk, stay with us buddy' Hutch warned urgently._

_With an effort the brunet forced his eyes open. 'Tired' he panted, feeling short of breath as though he'd run a marathon._

'_I know, but just stay with me Starsk, keep your eyes open for me'._

'_Ya like…. my eyes?'_

'_Yeah, I love your eyes Pal. They're your best bit. Keep 'em open for me buddy, stay with me here' Hutch continued to urge his partner._

'_Like… yours….too' Starsky breathed, words becoming almost too much of an effort. But as his blood continued to flow, the heat of the blood lust flowed from him too leaving him feel calm and at peace with himself more than he'd ever felt in his life._

'_You never said that before. You really like my eyes?' Hutch said, tears pricking at the corners of them._

'_Hmmm….. Love ya 'Utssshhhh' the smaller man murmured as his head fell sideways and his eyes closed._

'_Starsk? Starsky, stay with me buddy…. Starsky!!' Hutch looked up in desperation, but Perry was already administering the powerful magical potion to the cuts. It was black and had the consistency of molasses but it stemmed the bleeding immediately. As she finished and the blood ceased to flow she sat back on her heels as Hutch felt for the weak and thready pulse that fluttered and stuttered inside the brunet's body. Starsky looked peaceful for the first time in a month, his eyes closed, his face pain free but his skin cold, clammy and pale. Gently Hutch stroked down his buddy's cheek softly. 'Stay with me Starsk. Don't go...don't go anywhere, don't leave me, ya hear me Gordo.'_

_There was no answer, the brunet lost in the sleep that would either lead to death, or a new lease of life._

_Hutch looked up, his eyes full of questions. 'Is that it? Will he be ok? What do we do now?' he asked._

_Perry held his hand in hers, feeling the trembling of the tall blond she'd come to love. 'Honestly? I have no idea. He's alive, and he seems to be fighting. I don't think he'll die. But as to what state he'll be in when he wakes? I have no idea - no one does. All we can do now love, is wait'._

And wait they did. For three days they waited until the cuts had healed and the new moon had passed and Perry deemed it safe to bring the brunet out of his sleep. Hutch's heart had been in his mouth as Starsky woke that first time. The brunet had been sleepy, and weak, but at the same time, he knew that he still felt the pull of the moon and the yearning to run and hunt with the pack. Starsky was still werewolf and so the two men set about rebuilding their life, selling up two apartments and buying the remote beach house with the cellar to which Starsky could retreat and harm no one, least of all his partner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The front door to the beach house opened and Perry walked in, carrying a pizza box and a four pack of beers. The small woman with the down to earth Lancastrian accent (she was born in Lancashire, England the descendant of one of the Lancashire witches) smiled as she saw her boyfriend already had a glass of something to help him relax.

'Bad day love?' she asked.

Hutch looked up and smiled at her, rising to plant a kiss on her cheek. Their relationship had grown out of friendship and the connection she held with the supernatural world – the world that Hutch had so vehemently denied existed until his partner had been turned. Once Starsky had been infected, he'd turned to Agent Perry Turner of the Dark Forces Task Force for information, help, and then, further down the line, support and, yes, love. Since the brunet's transformation, their relationship had blossomed.

'It was fine. We arrested the robbers who've been plaguing downtown and Starsky ran one of them down without tryin' to eat him. That was a bonus.'

'Yes, I can see that. How is he? Or more to the point where is he?' Perry asked.

Hutch's face fell. 'Downstairs. He's locked up an' safe. But we um….we only just got back in time. He was changin' before we got him to the cage.'

Perry came to sit by her man, rubbing his back and resting her head on his shoulder. 'I know it's hard for you love, but Dave knows he needs to be locked away. He's accepted it, why can't you?'

'Because he's my partner! Which other cop has to put their partner in a cage for three nights a month? I don't see Garcia checkin' perps for blood in case Sharpe feels the need for a little snack. This is just so fuckin' hard…..and unfair. Starsky never asked for this.'

Drawing back, Perry challenged the hurt in Hutch's eyes. 'Hutch, you're both cops. You both went into the job with your eyes wide open. You both knew that you could be hurt on the job, and yet you both still go out on the streets each day. This injury is unusual, I'll give you that, but it's just an injury. The same as a bullet or a knife.'

'But he's had those too' Hutch said softly. His mind went back two years to the game of ping pong, the promise of a three course meal and the five bullets ploughing into the brunet's body.

'Yes he has, but look on the bright side. The lycanthropy has healed him like nothing else could.'

It was true. In the first month of the curly haired cop's infection, the scars from Gunther's bullets had faded, the residual pains from his surgeries had eased and now, four months on, his body was harder, leaner and healthier than it had been for years.

'I know, but it's a helluva price to pay. I don't know if I'd choose it over any other type of injury' Hutch said dubiously.

'You don't know till you have to choose, and like I kept telling you, for most of the time, he can lead a normal life. It's only the three days of the full moon that are his danger times.'

Hutch eased himself up off the sofa. 'Speaking of which, I should go down and check on him.'

'Be careful' Perry said with a smile. She never got tired Of the bond between the two men and whereas some of Hutch's girlfriends had found it tiresome and got in the way, Perry enjoyed the fact that each man watched out for the other. She also enjoyed the fact that she could help them in some small way with her knowledge and she and Starsky had had some in depth discussions about how he was going to have to make adjustments. Some the brunet took to heart, some, she still had to work on.

Hutch opened the door to the basement and flicked on the light. He heard a hiss from the depths of the room and winced. During the changes his buddy had had to deal with, his eyes had become sensitive to light.

Walking into the room, he winced again as he saw the cage and Starsky prowling the perimeter like a…….what? He hated to say it, but his buddy was like a caged wolf.

'Starsk? Can I get you anything?' Hutch asked quietly. Starsky's hearing also ramped up during this time of the month.

The brunet turned to look at his partner, piercing, almost luminous blue eyes shining in the dim light of the basement.

'Let me out.' Starsky's voice had taken on a slightly deeper, huskier quality – still Starsky, but altered a little some way.

'You know I can't do that buddy.'

'You say you're my friend. Prove it. Let me out.'

'No.'

'Hutch please. I hurt. This hurts. Just……'

The blond checked the caged man out, looking for signs of injury. He took a few steps closer to the cage and Starsky stood still, watching, his eyes never leaving the blond's body.

'Where d'ya hurt?' Hutch asked as he got up to the bars of the cage.

'My stomach. I'm hungry. I need food.' As he said it, Starsky's hand shot out through the bars and his finger tips grazed Hutch's arm as the blond sprang backwards out of the way.

'Starsk, don't do this. Fight it buddy. You know you can. Just fight it. You're in there somewhere, I can tell.'

The brunet rested his forehead against the bars, his breath panting. 'Sorry…..fuck…..Hutch, can't do this. Hard……too hard……get out. Leave me……just…..go.'

'I wanna stay with you' Hutch said desperately, needing to comfort the hurting man some way.

The smaller man raised his head, a sneer on his face. 'You wanna stay so that you can tempt me? I can smell your blood. You're like a "copsicle" a big blond ready meal, good enough to eat. Is that what you wanna hear? Is it?'

'No, you know it isn't. But I still know David Starsky is in there somewhere. And my Starsk wouldn't intentionally hurt me.'

Something clicked in the curly head. "My Starsk". Yeah. Starsky hung his head, shaking it from side to side, his voice taking on a more normal timbre as he fought his inner demons. 'Sorry. Wouldn't hurt ya, course not. But you've no idea how tough this is. I can feel the wolf part, it wants to take me over.'

'Don't let it buddy. Perry said if you can fight it for these first few moons, you'll conquer it and pretty soon, you'll be the master of it, and not the other way around. Fight it buddy. I'm here for ya. We both are – me and Perry – but there's only you can fight it.'

'I know. But I need to fight it on my own, no distractions. And right now Pal, you're a big tasty distraction.'

Hutch nodded. 'K I get the message. Howl if ya need anythin' huh?'

Starsky snickered. 'Howl huh? Funny Hutchinson. Very funny.'

Hutch snorted. 'Sorry. Um….shout huh?' he backed out of the cellar and climbed the stairs back up to the ground floor, closing the door and bolting it behind him. Perry was waiting in the living room, the doors open out onto the verandah and the beach beyond.

'How is he?'

'Oh ya know. Up and down. He's tryin' to fight it, but sometimes it overwhelms him.'

'I know. But he's strong. He'll manage' the woman said with conviction. 'And how are you holding up?'

Hutch paused. 'Me? Dunno. Haven't really thought about me much.'

Perry patted the sofa next to her. 'Well maybe now is the time to rectify that. Come and sit down here. The ocean sounds so lovely and see, the stars are out.'

'Don't you have oceans at home?'

Perry chuckled. 'We're an island. We have them all around us, but somehow I can't compare Blackpool with California. Apart from anything else, the temperature is a little different. If we wanted to sit with the doors open listening to the ocean in Lancashire, we'd be wrapped in duvets with a hot water bottle. Not the most romantic scenario in the world!'

Hutch snuggled closer. 'Oh, so we're talking romance are we Miss Turner?'

Perry but on her best southern accent. 'Why Mr Hutchinson, Are you playin' with ma honour?'

'Could be arranged' the blond said, burying his face in her hair.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The sunbeams broke through the small window in the cellar and brought the curly haired cop to wakefulness. It had been four or five o'clock in the morning before he'd finally paced himself into exhaustion and had fallen into the corner of the cage on the small bed to get some sleep.

He'd heard the woman again, prowling around outside his prison. He smelled her too, he perfume powerful and attractive. Almost as attractive as Lya had been to him, but he was still human enough to be in mourning for his lost love and the thought of another woman so soon after Maddox had killed the beautiful werewolf queen was too much to think about.

Talicia had been there every night of his incarceration for three months now though and her draw was getting almost too much for him to bear. He'd seen her a couple of times and what Starsky saw was not unattractive. Talicia was small, petite, with a mane of chestnut coloured hair that flowed and rippled down her back and deep dark brown eyes. She had a lithe grace about her, as had Lya and since the death of the queen, the brunet cop could feel Talicia's power growing. Her pull on him – on his body – was enormous, and growing, but still, he refused to meet with either her, or any of the other wolves in the pack he was supposed to lead. Perry had told Starsky that in mating with Lya he had unconsciously taken over the role of Luprex – king of the wolf pack. Lya had chosen him because he was strong; virile. Everything a wolf leader should be.

Yet Starsky still refused to think of himself as a werewolf. Sure, he felt the power of the moon and the heat in his blood that turned to lust for three nights a month. But he and Hutch had taken precautions. So far only he, his partner and Perry knew of his transformation and Starsky was adamant that it was going to remain that way. He was still a cop, and so far, the heightened senses the lycanthropy had given him had helped him in his day to day activities. How much longer he could keep this a secret, however, was open to debate.

Stretching luxuriantly was one of the good things about his change. The bullets Gunther's goons had put in his body had caused so much damage that even once he was cleared to get back out on the streets, he still had residual pains and they'd always hurt the brunet more in the morning when he was stiff from sleep. Now, he could stretch, breathe deeply and move with no pain, and he was faster and fleeter of foot than he'd ever been.

Starsky got up from the bed as he heard the bolt on the cellar door drawn back. Hutch walked down the steps bearing the key to his jail and opened the cage door quickly.

'Shower?' the blond asked, knowing Starsky was always tired and felt dirty after his nights of change.

'Sure. And breakfast?' the brunet asked hopefully.

'Blond on toast?'

Indigo eyes looked downcast and a flash of pain crossed Starsky's handsome features. 'Sorry' he said softly.

Hutch looked embarrassed. 'It's me that should say sorry. That was in poor taste. I shouldn't have said that. Perry's upstairs. She's made pancakes.'

'With maple syrup?' the kid that made up a big part of Dave Starsky was back.

'Uh huh. Lots. Go an' wash up, I'll save you a stack.'

Starsky bounced up the steps to the living room and through to the bathroom, grunting a morning at Perry on the way. Hutch followed more slowly behind. At 35 neither of the men were slow, but Hutch wondered constantly these days how he was likely to be able to keep up with his partner as time went on.

They sat down to breakfast and ten minutes later Starsky put in an appearance, dressed in his customary jeans and tee shirt and toweling the pearls of water from his hair. As he passed it, the telephone started to ring and he picked it up.

'Starsky.' The brunet's eyebrows knitted together in concentration as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line. A moment later he put the phone down and grabbed a couple of pancakes from the stack. 'Dobey wants us over at Citrus Point' he announced.

'Now?'

'Uh huh. Someone found a popper.'

Hutch shuddered. 'Jeez, right after breakfast?' The thought of examining a body that had been in the ocean for a few days didn't appeal so early in the morning, but he put down his fork, kissed Perry on the cheek and got his holster and gun from the closet.

'Let yourself out Hon?'

Perry nodded. 'See you later. Don't worry, I'll do the dishes.'

The detectives grinned and walked out into the early morning sunshine. To Starsky, with his heightened senses, the world was full of smells he'd never experienced before, colours so intense that sometimes they almost hurt his eyes and sounds that he would never have heard in the past. It was like being reborn again and it had taken him a while to come to terms with the sensory overload. Now he tried to ignore the blinding white sand, the noise of the crickets hammering at his eardrums and the tang of the salt on the sea breeze.

Getting into Hutch's car, they drove off to Citrus Point a little way up the coast from their home and came to a halt when they saw the small group gathered on the sand. Even from that distance, the brunet's nose wrinkled in distaste.

'Been dead at least two days' he grunted as he got out of the car.

'You can tell from here?' Hutch asked incredulously. 'Can you see the body?'

'No, but I can smell it. Can't you?'

The blond shook his head. 'Fortunately, no. C'mon lets get the ghouls away huh?'

They walked across the narrow stretch of beach to the small group of rubber neckers and nodded to the two uniformed officers sent out for crowd control. One of them, a young man they recognised as Todd Murray who was only in his second month out of the Academy had a hanky over his nose and was looking distinctly green around the gills. As the crowd parted, the detectives could see why.

The body was blue and bloated and had partially dried out in the morning sun, attracting flies and small crabs to the mess. Sightless eyes stared up from the young man's body but it was the damage to his neck that seemed so ghoulish. His throat had been ripped out, leaving a gaping hole through to his back, his spinal bones gleaming whitely through the torn flesh.

Starsky drew Hutch a little way away from the crowd.

'Well?' Hutch asked.

'It's a werewolf kill.'

'Are you sure?'

Starsky nodded. 'I can still smell him. He was a wolf. He's been dead a couple of days. Looked like he'd been in a fight.'

Hutch looked back at the body and something caught his eyes. He walked back and hunkered down next to the bloated bulk curiously. 'Look at this' he said, pointing to a clean, round hole in the man's shoulder. Gently he prodded it and the tip of the bullet showed in the wound.

With a clean handkerchief, Hutch prized the slug from the white, wrinkled flesh and stood up.

'What'cha got there?' Starsky asked.

Hutch dropped the slug into the brunet's hand and Starsky yelped and dropped it quickly onto the sand. He looked at the reddened mark on the palm of his hand. 'Silver. A hunter's bullet.'

'Maddox?' Hutch asked.

'Dunno, but I guess we're gonna find out.'


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It didn't take long for the guys from the morgue to get on site to put the body into a bag, tag it and take it away. By that time, the small crowd had started to dissipate and Starsky and Hutch took a last look around the area before heading back to the car.

'Why would a werewolf turn up dead, with his throat ripped out and a silver bullet close to his heart?' Hutch asked.

'Beats me. I'm new to this game, remember. Maybe your girl might know. She seems to know everything else.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' the blond asked levelly.

Starsky shook his head, aware he touched a raw nerve. 'Nuthin. I'm just getting' tired of the fact she seems to know more about me than I do.'

'Well she's a witch and she's been around the supernatural since she was a kid. Of course she's gonna know more about werewolves than you do.'

The brunet looked out of the window at the passing traffic. 'I know. I'm sorry. It was a rough night. She was there again, outside the window. I could sense her….I could almost feel her Hutch. She wants me.'

Hutch glanced sideways at his partner. 'And?'

'And nuthin. I'm not one of 'em, I told ya. I've got a lot of labels. Cop, son, friend, Jewish, but I aint gonna admit to bein' a freak.'

'That's what this is about isn't it?' Hutch asked quietly. 'It's all about your identity. How you fit in. D'ya think I think any differently of you because of some fuckin' infection that wasn't your fault?'

'Yeah….no….I dunno. I mean, I feel great. I have energy like I never had before. I can run faster, see better, hear better, but….'

'But what?' Hutch asked.

'But not many of the other cops have partners who want to eat 'em three times a month.'

The blond put his hand out and patted Starsky on the knee. 'I take it as a compliment' he said, trying to make light of the situation.

'Yeah, whatever. Lets' just get back to the Metro and start the investigation huh? Like two respectable, normal cops.'

Hutch snickered. 'Now who could ever call you normal, even before.'

'Gee, thanks partner' Starsky responded, glad of the friendly bickering to lighten the mood.

They drove in silence for a while, but the more Starsky thought about it, the more he knew that Hutch was right. His feelings of discomfort were about his identity and his ability to keep his differences from the outside world. He liked Perry, and he'd never meant to be nasty about her, but he found it unnerving that she knew more about the manifestations of the disease than he did. She could tell him when he was going to feel the heat in his blood, how he would heal from wounds, how he should behave. It was as though he were an actor on a stage and some script writer were writing his life as they went along. At the same time, it was also a comfort to know that the woman was there when things did get bad because then he had answers to the millions of questions that ran through his head every minute of every day.

The brunet had unconsciously started to fill his life with activity and he acknowledged now that it was because, yes, when he'd been shot he'd had to give up some of his life in order to compensate for his injuries, and now he didn't need to cover up his pain any more – it had miraculously gone. But on the other hand, he didn't want to give himself time to think because thinking threw up all sorts of questions and scenarios he'd preferred not to think about. It was the "ostrich syndrome" through and through. Bury his head in the sand (or in a pile of work) and the problem would hopefully go away. Only this problem wasn't going away and some day soon, he'd have to tackle it head on. That thought scared the curly haired cop more than the prospect of each full moon.

Throughout the day, the two cops went about their business quietly and with their usually efficiency. By four in the afternoon, however, Starsky was once again beginning to get twitchy. The winter afternoons grew dark a little earlier and he could feel the rising of the moon on the last of the three nights like a physical presence. At five past four the feelings became unbearable. He wanted out of the confines of the office. Starsky wanted to run and feel the wind in his hair. He needed to be set free from the confines of the building and, if he was honest with himself, he wanted to hunt. Swallowing down the feelings as best he could, he put his pen tidily away in his drawer and leaned across the table.

'Hutch, I gotta go' he hissed.

'Just a minute Starsk. I've nearly finished this report' the blond said without looking up.

Starsky stood up suddenly, the feeling of being imprisoned almost too overwhelming. 'No, you don't understand. I've gotta go NOW' he growled.

Something in the brunet's voice caught Hutch's attention and he looked up, seeing the wild light once again in his partner's eyes. Spitting the pencil out from between his teeth, he used the one armed sweep technique to get all his possessions into his drawer in one movement and stood up, snagging his jacket from the back of his chair. Together, the two men headed for the door. As they reached it, they heard a voice shouting for them.

'Starsky, Hutchinson. Where're you two goin'? I need to see you now.' Dobey stood at his office door, expectantly.

In front of him, Hutch heard a strangled sound, almost like a whimper of frustration from Starsky and turned smoothly to face his boss. 'Dentist appointment. Didn't I tell ya? Starsky too. We're late. We've got to go Cap'n. We'll catch up later. Bye.'

The two rushed from the room and down the corridor before the big black man could recover. As they got down to the parking lot unscathed and got into the car, Hutch let out a sigh of relief. It was short lived however, when he saw the beads of cold perspiration on his buddy's brow.

'So soon Starsk? It's not gonna be dark for a while yet.'

The brunet had his hands balled into fists, fighting for control. 'I don't know what's the matter Hutch. The feelings are…stronger. I need to get home. Just get me home huh?'

'Sure thing buddy. Just hang on in there.'

Hutch drove home fast and furious while Starsky hung onto the passenger grab, his knuckles white against the dark plastic. His breathing had become heavier as he concentrated on the changes he felt in his body and as the blond pulled the car to a halt outside the beach house, Starsky opened the door dashed in and down the stairs to the basement, clanging the door closed behind him so that the lock clicked shut. He flung himself onto the bed in the corner of the cage, on his knees with his head buried in the pillow as his hands clawed at the bedclothes.

Hutch followed his partner down into the cellar and looked on in horror as groans of pain were wrung from the brunet's throat. Behind him, the blond heard footsteps and Perry appeared at the top of the steps. She took one look at the state of the werewolf in the cage and turned, disappearing back upstairs again.

Hutch walked quietly to the cage's side, being careful to stand back a little way. 'Starsk? What can I do for you buddy?' he asked. In the past four months he'd never seen his partner like this before.

'Nuthin' the muffled reply came back.

'You're hurtin'. I can see. There must be something.'

The blond took an involuntary step backwards as Starsky leapt off the bed and threw himself bodily at the cage bars. Alarmingly, they gave a little. 'Let me out. Either kill me now and get this fuckin' charade over with, or let me out. I need to get out. I need to…..'

The blond's face showed confusion. 'But you were the one who locked himself in there. Are you ok? What's changed? You want in or out?'

Again, Starsky threw himself at the bars, the ironwork humming at the impact. 'I need to get out….I need to……' For a moment, David Starsky looked back at Hutch from within the face of the wolf. 'Hutch, whatever happens don't let me hurt anyone. This is……tough…..I can….' And then the human element was swallowed down again by the beast and the brunet recommenced trying to escape his cage.

Perry appeared by Hutch's side with a tin cup holding a clear fluid. 'Get him to drink this if you can. It'll help' she said softly, pushing the cup into the blond's hand before backing off a ways.

Slowly, Hutch approached the cage again. 'Starsk, cool it buddy. Here, you must be thirsty. Have something to drink huh?'

The man in the cage stopped his prowling and glared at Hutch. 'Let me out?'

'Maybe later, but look at yourself. You're all bent over buddy. Here, have a drink and maybe you'll feel better.'

'I don't wanna drink, I want to get out. Hutch, I need to get out. Lemme out huh? Please? You're meant to be my friend. I need to…' the brunet threw himself at the bars again. 'LET ME OUTTA HERE.'

As calmly as he could, Hutch stretched out his arm and held the cup for Starsky to take. 'Let's just talk for a while. Just you an' me. You're sweating' up a storm buddy. Here, just drink this, you'll feel better.'

The brunet eyed his partner wildly, but the words seemed to have some effect and finally Starsky reached through the bars and took the cup. He drank it down in one huge gulp, but no sooner had he swallowed than his eyes blazed anger at his friend. 'What was that? It was drugged. I can feel it……it's……' The curly haired man staggered and fell to his knees, his head hanging down in exhaustion. He raised it and looked accusingly through the bars. 'Why?' he managed to gasp before collapsing onto his side on the floor, his eyes finally closed.

Perry came out of the shadows of the room as Hutch hunkered down by the side of the bars and reached through to soothe Starsky's brow. 'Be careful honey' she said.

'Of what? My drugged partner?' Hutch asked bitterly. 'What was that you gave him?'

'Wolfsbane, and some thistle. It'll keep him quiet for a while.'

'I can't go on like this. We can't go on like this. It's too hard. It's too unfair. He never asked for any of this.'

Perry nodded. 'I know love. And you're right, neither of you can go on like this. Something has to give, and I know what it is, but whether Dave is ready to accept it yet is another matter.'

'And this something is?'

'He's ignored the pack. Since the day he was infected he was the Chosen One. He was the one set aside to be Luprex and he's ignored that side of his life, or at least he's chosen not to acknowledge it.'

'You mean that somehow by meeting with the other werewolves will make him better?' Hutch asked.

'Well not better exactly, but he'll be more at peace, and probably more able to handle the feelings. Right now he has fire running through his veins. He wants to remain "normal" whatever that is, but the lycanthropy has him in its grip. He's not just anyone infected by a werewolf. He's the one who's been identified as the next leader and that's because Lya saw someone strong, and good and with morals. He can't fight this any more than a blind man can fight not seeing. Sooner or later, he'll have to deal with his infection, and the way I've seen him today, it's going to have to be sooner, rather than later.'

Hutch sighed and looked at the sleeping man. 'Well Starsk, looks like we have some talking to do when you wake up' he said softly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was well into the morning of the next day before Starsky woke from his drug induced sleep. He rolled over on the floor, stiff and a little sore from his sleep on the hard tiles of the cellar. Although Hutch had wanted to go into the cage and move his partner onto the bed, Perry had been adamant that she couldn't trust the potency of the drug and she didn't want to risk anything happening that either cop would prefer to forget.

Quietly, and with a hiss the brunet got to his feet and pushed at the cage door. It swung open and on the table, set out ready was a glass of orange juice and a bowl of cereal and some milk. Starsky chuckled to himself. Trust Hutch. the blond knew that after one of his "moon nights" as they'd come to be called, he was always ravenous, but thinking about last night also brought more than a small twinge of worry to the curly haired man. Last night had been crazy. Crazier than anything he'd experienced before. The feeling of fire in his veins and the incessant hammering of his heart inside his chest had driven him almost insane and Starsky's face creased in embarrassment as he thought about his actions. Throwing himself against the bars had not been the most productive thing in the world and he rubbed absently at the sore spot on the side of his chest where he'd hit the unyielding metal again and again. What had caused the sudden ramping up in feelings? God only knew – or if not God, some unknown deity in charge of werewolves.

Gulping down the OJ and snatching the bowl of cereal, Starsky made his way upstairs just in time to hear Hutch on the phone. The blond put the receiver down as the brunet closed the cellar door behind him.

'How're you this mornin'?'

Starsky shrugged his shoulders. 'Hungry.'

The blond's face turned serious. 'That was quite some ride last night. Any idea what brought it on?'

'Nope, but I feel fine now. Better than fine. Who was on the phone?'

Ignoring the change in subject, Hutch scratched his cheek. 'Dobey. There's been another murder. Similar to the first. This one has his throat ripped out, but also looks like he's been in a real doozy of a fight. Apparently there's scratches, cuts and bruises all over his body. He wants us down there right now.'

'To the beach again?' Starsky asked, finishing the cereal and putting the bowl in the sink.

'No, that's the odd thing. It's over in Beverley.'

'Hills?' Starsky's eyebrows shot up.

'No, dummy. Beverley – the suburb on the west side of the city.'

'Wow! That's' a nice neighbourhood. We don't get much call to go around that neck of the woods. I bet the residents are up in arms about a dead body amongst their nice manicured lawns and two point four children.'

Hutch nodded. 'Not our usual patch, for sure. You gonna get a shower before we head on over there?'

The brunet nodded and headed off to the bathroom leaving his partner to wonder how he was going to broach the subject of the conversation he was going to have to have that evening with Perry.

Fifteen minutes later, Starsky reappeared, washed, shaved and pulling a tee shirt over his head. It never failed to amaze the flaxen haired cop just how fit and healthy his partner now was and as Starsky's muscles flexed and his arms rose to get the tee shirt over his head, he bared a scar free chest and a washboard abdomen that many men ten years younger would have coveted.

It didn't take long to drive over the Beverley. The area was the epitome of American suburbia. Broad streets lined with grass verges and trees bordered larger than average houses painted white and pastel shades, all with pretty gardens and expensive cars on the drives. Children played around the drive ways on bikes and skate boards and dogs barked through tightly closed windows. Hutch had come from a neighbourhood very like this one. Middle class with a yearning to be more. He shuddered as he thought back to his childhood. Every Sunday was car wash and lawn mowing day. Every Saturday was shopping for the women and a ball game for the men. Routine was the order of the day and the young Ken Hutchinson had been glad to escape the boredom. Now, he got out of the car and looked around with some fondness. This was the sort of neighbourhood where nothing changed year on year and the only scandal was when someone's pedigree Siamese cat had a fling with the scruffy tom from the wrong side of the tracks. A dead body here would be the talk of the dinner tables for years to come.

There was no mistaking where the body was. A small crowd had gathered around and a cordon of police tape was secured around a fire hydrant and draped over a white picket fence. The duo walked over and hopped over the tape and peered into the striped police tent that had been erected over the murder site. As they looked, one of the cops who had been called in first motioned Hutch over to speak to one of the residents, leaving Starsky to investigate the body.

It was fresh, and couldn't have been dead for more than a couple of hours. Curiously, Starsky knelt down by its side and looked into the face of a young man of maybe 23 or 24. His eyes were open and staring and his young face was marred by bruises, a split lip, a black eye and a huge cut running from his hairline down to his chin. He was a wolf, Starsky knew for sure. He could smell the wolf in his blood, but there was something else too. It was almost as though he knew the guy, although he had a similar strong conviction that he'd never set eyes on him before. The feeling of family was so strong that without thinking, the curly haired cop reached down and stroked the cold skin of the youngster's cheek. Withdrawing his hand, Starsky had an urge to fight so strong that for a moment he felt dizzy and sick to his stomach. He was in no doubt that this man had fought another wolf. There was no hunter and no outside human force involved this time, only pure lycanthropy.

Without thinking, he put his bloodied fingers to his lips and sucked off the still slightly warm blood. It tasted salty and familiar some way and set up a craving for more. Unconsciously, Starsky knelt by the side of the victim and licked up the side of his face along the huge cut, lapping at the blood there. It made him feel a sense of belonging and he had a sudden pang of sadness for the young werewolf that he couldn't explain.

The cop would have taken another lick had it not been for a soft choking sound behind him. He stopped and looked around as Hutch poked his head into the tent, alerted by the uniformed cop who'd been there a moment before. That man had staggered backwards, white as a sheet and had whispered to Hutch that he should probably go see what his partner was doing.

'Um, Starsk?' Hutch said softly. He almost fell onto his rear end when the smaller man turned suddenly, growling threateningly and baring his teeth like a proper wolf. The vision lasted only a second before Starsky came back to his senses and stopped himself from making any further noise. Hastily he wiped the smears of blood from his lips and looked embarrassed. Hutch too was looked unnerved. 'Ah….what just happened there?'

The brunet stood shakily, and looked down at the body. 'I dunno' he admitted huskily. 'One minute I was checkin' him over and the next….. Get me outa here buddy. I can't explain while we're here, but I feel like I know this guy.'

'You've seen him before?' Hutch asked.

'No never, but I know him. Or I feel like I know him. I can't explain, but I know I can't stay here with him. Make an excuse for me, do anythin' but I need to go, now.' With that, the brunet almost pushed his partner out of the way and virtually ran from the tent, leaving Hutch to deal with the two shaken uniformed patrolmen.

Five minutes later, the flaxen haired cop joined Starsky in the car. They sat for a moment in silence, the atmosphere between them thick enough to cut. Starsky looked down at his hands. 'Sorry.'

'You an' me both partner. Wanna talk?'

'Not here, not now.'

'Well soon. Perry wanted to talk to you. She thinks she knows what happened to you last night and I think there may be some answers from today too. One thing's for sure, we can't go on like this much longer. Someone, somewhere is gonna start askin' questions.'

Starsky gave a shy grin. 'Ya think the growl was a mistake?' he asked.

'I think the whole blood lickin' thing was a dead giveaway' Hutch snorted. 'But seriously buddy, somethin's got to give, and it's either our cover or my nerves. Right now I'm not sure which is in worse shape.'

The brunet gave a small sigh. 'I hate to admit it, coz you're insufferably smug when I do, but you're right. I've been hidin' from myself as much as anythin'. I do need to talk, I just don't want to hear the answers much.'

'Are ya scared Starsk?' Hutch asked very quietly.

'Of the future, or what I've become, of what's gonna happen, everything. Course I am. But the one thing I'm scared of more'n anythin' is not bein' able to be a cop any more, an' not bein' able to work with you.'

The blond shook his head. 'I can't begin to try to understand how you're feelin' buddy. But one thing I do know for sure is you're stuck with me. I couldn't think of doin' this job without you watchin' my back, so we either both stay cops, or we both go. That's the only decision we need to think about right now.'

Overcome with emotion, Starsky could think of nothing more to say. He held his hand out unselfconsciously and Hutch took it. 'You're my pal, Hutch.'

'I seem to remember you sayin' that once before, and everything turned out fine. Speak to Perry. I know you hate it, but she does have the answers.'

'I know, an' I'm grateful. Now get me home before I start snackin' on a passing child huh?'

'I'll take you for a beef burrito, will that do instead?' Hutch asked.

'With everythin'?' Starsky's face brightened marginally.

The blond switched on the engine and started the car moving. 'Is there any other sort?' he snickered.

Excuses were made when they got back home and Hutch phoned in to the Metro. Fortunately it was Dobey's rostered day off so they didn't need to speak to the big black man and for the rest of the day, they pottered, doing comfortable things that didn't include wolves or black magic. By dinner time, Starsky felt marginally more relaxed and when Perry came around bearing Chinese food and a six pack of beers, the two cops were almost their old selves.

Food finished, however, the mood turned sombre. Throughout the meal, Starsky had kept himself to himself, wanting answers to the riddle that was lycanthropy, but at the same time being afraid of what he might hear. Above all, he wanted a cure, but the only shot at that, back there in the cave, had come to nothing. Perry and her friends still searched the ancient texts, but with the brunet now over his fourth moon, his status as a werewolf seemed confirmed. As Hutch cleared away the plates, Perry curled herself up on the chair like a cat, glass of beer in her hand as she regarded the curly haired cop levelly.

'How are you feeling?' she asked without pause.

Starsky's guts churned. OK, this was it, this was the talk he's been dreading, but there was no way now to back out, and maybe afterwards, he might start to feel a measure of peace.

'Different' he admitted. 'I mean, I don't feel like I'm gonna go all crazy or nuthin, but last night felt different and….' He was going to mention the body that morning, but something stopped him.

'And what?' Perry persisted.

'Nuthin.'

The woman sat forward on her chair and put a hand on the brunet's knee. 'Dave don't you trust me?' she asked.

'Yeah, course I trust ya.'

'Then if you truly trust me, you have to open up to me. I can help, and I know this must be scary for you, but I want to help you through it, truly I do. I can't do it, though, if you don't tell me stuff.' Her green eyes shone out of a face so open and eager that Starsky felt drawn in. He mentally squared his shoulders and took a deep breath.

'M'sorry, an' you're right. I am scared – of answers mostly. Last night felt different…..the feelings were stronger, more powerful, I could feel the fire in my blood like I needed to get out an' run, but I've no idea where I wanted to run to. This mornin' I felt fine. Hungry, but fine' he chuckled. 'It always makes me hungry, but Hutch says that's nuthin new anyway. We got a call to another body. Same old – throat ripped out, but this one had been in a fight. I could tell that, but……'

Starsky paused, suddenly not wanting to tell the woman what had gone on. Perry nodded to him, smiling encouragement. 'Go on, tell me.'

'Well, we got to the 'burbs and we found the place an' Hutch was talkin' to the crowd so I went to check out the body. It was a youngish guy, maybe 10 years younger'n me. I'd never seen him before in my life, an' yet I knew him. I really felt like I knew him. I can't explain it, but um……I …..I had this urge to…. Oh God, its gross when I think about it' the brunet lifted pained eyes to Perry, seeking support and understanding.

'You wanted to taste him?' she asked as though it were the most commonplace thing in the world.

'Is that abnormal? I mean, yeah, course it's abnormal, but amongst freaks, is it?' Starsky asked softly.

Perry dropped onto her knees in front of the brunet as Hutch stood quietly by the kitchen door, listening. He needed to understand just as much as Starsky did. Perry grasped the curly haired man's hands and held them tightly.

'Dave, look at me. You are not a freak, got that? You are a man who has been infected by a disease, but instead of it making you sick, it's opened up a whole new world to you. Sure, it's scary because of all the stuff that's been written about werewolves, but I can assure you that there are so many out there, that you'd be surprised. And most of them lead very normal lives. They make allowances and they make changes, but they are still fully functioning members of society, and they are secret.'

'Your trouble stems from the fact that on top of being a wolf, you were also chosen by Lya to become the next Luprex. You were the one she selected to lead the pack, because of your strength, your character, and yes, your goodness. But that's also your problem.'

'Ya think?' Starsky asked sharply.

'Yes, I think! Dave your problem is that you've turned your back on it. Instead of embracing a new lifestyle, you've tried to ignore it and it won't just go away. You've not contacted any of the others and you haven't taken your position as leader. Now there are fights breaking out in the pack as the subordinates are vying for power. That's what the deaths have been about, and now Clarke Maddox is back on the scene, taking his opportunity to take them out one at a time.'

'So this is all my fault?' the brunet asked in a small voice.

'Fault? I guess so, in a way. But you weren't to know. You just need to make contact love. You need their support as much as they need your leadership.'

'She's right Starsk. Maybe you should meet with 'em. That's the only way you can make a decision about how to carry on buddy' Hutch said as he came to sit down. 'I have no idea how you're feeling, but I know you're lost…..hurt. Try it. Try it and see huh?'

Starsky smiled, his heart hammering in his chest at the thought, and yet it seemed to make sense. 'Yeah, maybe I should. Let me think on it huh?'

Perry smiled encouragingly. 'Think, yes, but not too long. The pack is in turmoil and will be till they get a new Luprex. You're the rightful heir and you've been gone too long. Don't keep them waiting for ever, love.'


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

For the rest of the evening, the three chatted about comfortable things that had nothing to do with wolves or murders. For the most part, Starsky tried to join in as though nothing was worrying him, but deep down he felt a dread in the pit of his stomach. Having to meet other werewolves was bad enough. It was almost like a final admission that he was abnormal – one step too far. So far, by carefully blanking his mind when he thought about lycanthropy, the brunet had been largely able to ignore the fact that he'd changed. Only on the three nights each month did he have to face the stark truth and even then, he tried to reason that other diseases sometimes meant the victim had to suffer for a few days in order to get better. This however was so different. Thinking about actually meeting another werewolf left him feeling sick to his stomach.

It wasn't as though they had two heads or aliens in their bellies. He knew that they were ordinary people, like him, trying to get along with ordinary lives but the idea of meeting with them was like the final nail in the coffin. Meeting with them would be the final, irrefutable admission that he was different – a monster, a werewolf. And not just any common or garden werewolf. He was supposed to be their leader. How would that go down? Would he be accepted without question? Could it be that simple? And what impact would that have on his other "human" life? So many questions ran around his curly head that finally at about 10:30, the brunet made his excuses and took himself off to bed, leaving Hutch and Perry alone.

'What do you think?' Hutch asked, when he'd seen the light go off under the crack of Starsky's bedroom door.

'I think he's scared witless, and who wouldn't be? He hides it well, but he hasn't come to terms with what it all means' Perry said thoughtfully.

'Neither have I, if I'm honest. What does is all mean? I mean, if he was to meet them and take up this leadership thing, what would that mean for him?' Hutch murmured hoping the "and me" wasn't too transparent.

'It means he'd have to spend some time with the pack, a little like a president. He'd have to decide on the day to day running of the pack, he'd have to decide arguments and first of all, because he's not been there to stake his claim, he'll have to prove himself able to take charge.'

'But I thought you said he was this Luprex thing' Hutch said. 'Why does he have to prove himself all of a sudden? And how?'

'He wasn't there at the beginning love. He didn't stake his claim right there and then when Lya died and the rest of the pack members know that he's been in denial. Would you want a leader who patently abhors the idea of what you are? Of course they're going to want to test him to ensure he's fit to be leader…..and that may involve fighting with some of them' Perry finished softly.

'Fighting? As in….'

'Yes, as in the dead bodies that you've seen. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, but in extremes, yes, it could be a fight to the death. On top of which, now that there's been all the unrest, Clark Maddox is back on the scene and that's going to cause a fair bit of unrest too.'

Hutch put his head in his hands, the enormity of it all suddenly almost overwhelming. 'OK, this is something I can understand. Maybe we eliminate the difficulties one at a time. Do we know anything about this guy? This Clark Maddox?'

Perry nodded. 'Some, yes. He has a camp up in the hills at a place called Rock Ridge. There's a small settlement there. They're mostly hardy souls who fancy themselves as modern day mountain men types. Maddox is their self proclaimed sheriff. He runs a tight ship apparently and my sources tell me the main occupation of the camp and settlement is the eradication of werewolves.'

'Oh, just great! So now Maddox is down here taking the law pretty much into his own hands and dishing out his own special type of justice, while my partner is trying to be a cop by day and a fuckin' king by night. Is there anythin' that Starsk does the easy way?'

The woman rested her head on Hutch's shoulder. 'All we can do is be there for Dave, and as he's asleep right now, maybe you could um….be there for me? Kiss me?'

The blond looked down at the beautiful woman and smiled, some of the tension leaving his body at the sight of the lady who so obviously adored him. 'Now that's one wish I'm happy to fulfil' he whispered. 'C'mere gorgeous.'

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Starsky retreated to his room and lay down on the bed dressed only in his jeans. Clothes felt almost too tight these days and he liked to feel free and unfettered whenever he could. With his left arm folded behind his head he stared up at the ceiling, trying to come to terms with everything Perry had told him.

In truth, a lot of the stuff he now had to deal with was good. He enjoyed the improved sight and hearing. He loved the fact that all his residual pains had gone and he felt better than he'd done in his twenties. Even the recurrent nightmares he'd suffered from his time in 'Nam seemed to have gone and in that part of his mind he had a peace he hadn't know in years. Yes, there were definite advantages to this lycanthropy.

Starsky had never been a "woodsy" kind of guy. Being brought up in New York, he was happier in a concrete jungle than amongst the trees and had always kept his distance from the great outdoors. Now, however, with his senses heightened, he could appreciate so much more of the nature around him. Colours were more vivid and smells more inviting than he'd ever thought possible. His body felt in tune with the seasons and here, in the house on the beach, he could almost feel the rhythms of the ocean. Sounds that in the past had been in the background now lulled him; the waves hissing onto the shore; the churning of the sand in the breakers. All were there, at his fingertips for the taking and he felt a part of them like never before.

Despite the susurration of the wind through the mallum grass on the dunes sleep failed to come to the brunet, Perry's words running round and around in his curly head. He should be the leader but he'd turned his back on the pack. He knew he had, there was no denying it, but after this amount of time, what reception would he get if he suddenly waltzed into their midst, throwing his weight around?

Starsky tossed and turned on the bed for some time. He heard Hutch and Perry go into the bedroom and close the door. With his highly attuned hearing, he could also hear their love making. Hutch seemed to be a slow and passionate lover and Perry was obviously enjoying his attentions and although Starsky tried to filter out the sounds, he found he couldn't and felt guiltily like a voyeur, listening in on his partner's romance. It wasn't that he was jealous of his partner; God knows Hutch deserved some luck with women and Perry and he seemed so right for each other. It was purely that he could hear ever moan, every whisper and also every move the big blond made.

Restlessly, the brunet got up and went to look out of the window. The ocean sparkled in the distance, the crests of the waves lit by the moonlight and the stars. It looked so inviting that on a whim, Starsky opened the door to his bedroom, padded silently across the living room and let himself quietly out of the house.

The night air caressed his naked chest and back and raised the hairs on his arms. He shivered, although it wasn't cold and made his way through the shallow dunes and out onto the hard packed sand by the water's edge. For a while, the brunet stood silently looking out to sea, the small breeze ruffling his curls playfully. Without thinking, Starsky took of his jeans and boxers and waded naked out into the water. It was cold but not unpleasant and the water lapped at his legs, cooling the burning that was still resident in his blood. As he got in a little deeper, the curly haired man made a shallow dive through one of the small breakers, swimming strongly out through the surf and into deeper, calmer water. It felt good to stretch muscles that were tight through stress and for a while, Starsky luxuriated in the feeling of power his swimming gave him. Finally slowing his strokes, he turned on his back and floated for a while, rocked gently by the waves as he gazed at the moon.

Never before had he really taken much notice of the celestial orb. It was just one of those things hanging in the sky, sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller, but always there. Since his infection, however, he'd become morbidly fascinated by it, attuned to its cycle and almost afraid of it as it waxed and waned.

Shaking himself from his negative thoughts, Starsky turned over easily onto his belly and stroked slowly back to the shore, his arms and legs moving in unison as he easily covered the distance. As the brunet got to shallower water, however and brought his legs round so that he could stand up in the surf, he saw that his pile of clothing was maybe half a mile down the beach and was now accompanied by a lone figure. Even Starskys eyes couldn't make out who it was from that range, but the brunet already knew that it was neither Hutch, not Perry. Senses on high alert and feeling more than a little vulnerable in his nakedness, the brunet set off at a steady jog up the beach.

As he got within a few hundred yards of the figure, it turned and Starsky saw that it was the woman, the one that he'd seen around. He knew her name was Talicia and now she turned to face him, her chestnut hair gleaming in the moonlight. Feeling self conscious, the brunet cupped his hands round the centre of his body and slowed to a walk as he approached. The woman stood up, formally, seemingly unphased by seeing Starsky in the buff.

'Um…..hi' the brunet said, for want of something better. What did you say to a beautiful woman when she was getting more than an eyeful of body?

'Hi yourself' she said, handing Starsky his jeans. Swiftly, he grabbed them and turned his back to jam his legs into them. Zipping up, he spun round as he felt her hands on his naked back.

She backed off. 'Sorry' she said, her eyes downcast. 'I couldn't help myself.'

'You're….'

'Talicia' she said softly. 'And you're David.'

'Well now we have the formalities out of the way, why have you been followin' me? I feel almost like I know ya already.' Starsky sat himself down on the sand and Talicia dropped gracefully to her knees by the side of him. She had an oddly erotic grace about her, her eyes refusing to meet his and yet encouraging him to gaze upon her. He swallowed on a throat gone inexplicably dry.

'In a way you do. Lya chose you and now that she's passed, I'm here to take her place.'

'Place as in….?'

'As in your mate, if you want me' the woman said without artifice.'

'My ma….oh now hold on honey. Let's take this one step at a time shall we? I mean, I've seen you a couple of times from a distance, an' I've never been one to hold back, but um….shouldn't we get to know each other for a while first?' Starsky blustered.

'You have no idea, do you?' she said, running her finger down the brunet's spine. He squirmed, but the touch felt warm, sensuous and oddly right.

'About what?'

'About the trust you engender Dave Starsky. Lya chose well. You are more powerful than Ethan, her last mate.'

'She told me about him, but we never really got to know each other too well. She was killed just after we……well we just didn't have much time together' the brunet explained. How could she understand the powerful feelings of love he had for a woman he'd known only a short length of time. Lya had meant more to him in those few days than any other woman he'd had in his life. If Starsky couldn't understand it, then how could he expect anyone else to? And yet, Talicia nodded her head wisely.

'You were meant to be together. The pack felt her passing terribly. But we move on, and now it's time for you to take your rightful place. The elders asked me to come find you and bring you back.'

Starsky looked doubtful. 'That's the second time tonight someone has told me I should go meet with all the other freaks.'

'Is that what you think we…..you are? Freaks?' she asked.

For the first time, Starsky really looked at the woman in front of him. Talicia was small, probably no more than 5'2" tall. She was tiny and slim and her tanned skin shone in the moonlight. Her hair was a rich burnished chestnut and she wore it long and free, cascading down her back almost to her waist. Even in the moonlight, Starsky could see her eyes were the deepest, darkest brown and for a moment he became lost in their depths. How could this beautiful woman be a werewolf? Was it even possible? She was so graceful, womanly, erotic….. 'No….not you' he mumbled.

Talicia seemed to read his thoughts. 'None of us are freaks Dave. We're just ordinary people who through chance, or luck, or accident….whatever you want to call it….have two separate lives. We have our day to day ordinary lives out in the human world, and we have our secret lives in the pack. But we're not freaks and we're not animals, whatever you might think.'

'But I feel like I am an animal during the moon' Starsky said with such passion in his voice that it even shook him.

'That's because you haven't got the pack around you. That's what you're missing. We can help you just as much as you can help us.'

'Me help you? How'd ya figure that?' he asked.

'You help us by taking your rightful place as Luprex. The pack is in anarchy because we're leaderless and the younger men are beginning to fight and squabble. We're adrift, and we need a strong leader.'

'But I'm a cop, not a king' Starsky muttered.

'You're both. You're Dave Starsky, detective during the day, and at night, you're Luprex to the Bay Pack, if you'll have them…..and me' Talicia said carefully.

'You?'

'I was Lya's second in command. When the Queen dies, her second in command takes over, unless the Luprex claims someone else.' Kneeling up, her back ramrod straight and her eyes downcast, Talicia put her hands in her lap. 'If you want me, I'm yours' she said very formally.

'But I don't even know ya honey……'

The woman looked up, her eyes shining. Carefully, she leaned over and kissed the startled cop deeply on the lips, drawing away as Starsky looked into her eyes breathlessly. There was something about the woman that he found attractive, erotic and somehow familiar. She never raised an eyebrow when he'd walked up the beach naked. She's never said anything to him, simply handed him his jeans, and although he felt odd at meeting her out there on the beach without his clothes, it wasn't the cringe making embarrassment he'd expected. In effect, he felt as easy around Talicia as he would around a girl he'd been with for months. His body relaxed marginally and he smiled into her eyes.

'…..but maybe I could make an effort' he breathed, pulling her to him again and claiming her mouth as his own.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Talicia and Starsky talked until the first rays of sun peeped over the horizon, tinting the sky with a haze of purple, magenta and shell pink. They'd talked the night through. Well, talked and had kissed and cuddled and stroked each other's bodies as though they had known each other for an eternity. Indeed that was how it felt – that they were old friends getting reacquainted with each other after years apart. Starsky could hardly believe how easily he fell into conversation with the girl. She had an easy way with her for sure. She had a sense of humour and she was smart. A chemist by trade, she'd given her life over to trying to find a cure for lycanthropy and she's heard only good things about Agent Perry Turner and Perry's group of friends. Although the two women had never met, Talicia was eager to finally talk to the white witch and swap ideas.

Finally, the sand having leached the residual warmth from their bodies, both Starsky and the girl stretched, kissed and got to their feet.

'Have you come to a decision?' Talicia asked as she held the cop's hands.

'About what?' Starsky asked, trying to avoid giving an answer.

'About coming to meet with the pack. We meet every Tuesday anyway and it's Tuesday today. Why not? It would do you good and it would do us good too.'

'I um…. I don't know how to…. Shit! How'm I supposed to behave? You say I'm supposed to be some kinda leader, but….. how's that go down huh? I dunno. I think you got the wrong guy honey.'

'We didn't. Lya was careful who she chose.'

'You mean she infected me on purpose?' the brunet asked incredulously.

A cloud passed over Talicia's pretty face. 'Don't think badly of her. She knew strength when she found it, and she told me you were the strongest she's ever felt. She did what she did for the pack, and now it's your turn to come meet with us…..lead us. Just, be yourself.'

Starsky sighed. 'Where and when?'

'We meet at 8:00 usually, except when it's full moon of course. You know Division Street, in Beverly?'

'Yeah, funny. I was there today. Dead body. Was he um…..was he one of the pack? He was a wolf, I could tell that for sure' Starsky asked, thinking back to the taste of the blood on his fingers.

'That was Xavier. He was one of the ones who was fighting for leadership. Some of us tried to tell him he was too young, but he wouldn't listen.'

'And the body brought up onto the beach the other day?'

Talicia shivered. 'Todd. Maddox, the hunter had already taken a shot at him before a neighbouring pack got him. We couldn't help. It was a shame.'

'I don't know if I'm ready for this honey. None of it makes any sense to me. Men, who aren't really men, all fighting like animals. It's just….'

'Freakish. Yes, you said already. Dave, I can't make this any easier for you. I can't make any more sense out of it for you, but maybe just give it a try huh? One person can make a huge difference.'

'Fine. Once. One meeting, I can't promise more. First and foremost I'm a cop' Starsky said firmly.

Talicia smiled up at him and kissed him lightly on his cheek. 'Then you'll get on fine. One of the pack members is a lawyer, the other's a Judge. See you tonight Dave Starsky.' The woman walked away, her long hair swinging down her back, leaving the brunet looking after her, open mouthed.

Snorting to himself, Starsky started to walk back to the beach house. In the cool of the dawn, he shivered, the sea breeze raising goose bumps on his naked chest and back. He walked with his head down, studying they way his bare feet sank into the soft, cool sand and as he got to the shallow dunes, he started to find a path through them. As he rounded a corner, still in his own world, he was stopped in his tracks by a tall, black haired man, dressed in black jeans and a black tee shirt, his eyes a piercing green. The man was tall and well built and probably in his early thirties. He had a wild look in his eyes and a smirk on his face.

Starsky looked at him and would have walked on by, thinking he was maybe a surfer dude on his way to catch the early morning breakers off the point. As he stepped around the man, his actions were mirrored and the tall man put himself in Starsky's path again. The brunet looked up.

'S'cuse me?'

'You're the cop they've been talkin' about' the man said abruptly.

'Cop, yeah. But who's been talkin' and what about?' the brunet asked.

'The others. Talkin' about the next leader. They say it's gonna be you.'

Starsky looked more closely at the man. He held himself tall and proud and now that he was close, the brunet could detect the wolfishness.

'And what's it got to do with you?' the brunet asked calmly.

'Everythin' and there again, maybe nothin'.'

Starsky cocked his head on one side. 'Look Pal. It's early, I haven't had much sleep, an' I aint in the mood for riddles. Who the hell are ya?'

The other man smiled although there was no warmth behind his eyes. 'The name's Dante. Dante Rodriguez.'

'Well Dante, I'll ask again. What's it got to do with you? Are you pack?'

Dante shook his head sadly. 'Now you see, if you truly were the Chosen One, you wouldn't need to ask.'

'Well call me slow on the uptake. This is all still pretty new to me. Did you meet me for a friendly chat, or was there somethin' more?' Starsky asked, feeling the waves of indignation emanating from Dante's tall figure.

The black haired man moved a step closer. 'I saw you on the beach with Talicia.'

'Yeah, nice girl.'

'My girl. Back off huh?'

Starsky saw the challenge behind the green eyes and something in him snapped into place. 'Well she didn't seem to mention your name Pal. Maybe she don't have the same opinion huh?'

Dante took his final step and swung his fist at the cop. 'You leave her alone or I'll fuckin' kill ya' he yelled.

Starsky saw the blow coming, but it still connected with his jaw. His head snapped sideways and he turned swiftly but not swiftly enough to avoid the knife in Dante's hand. It plunged into his upper arm and remained there, sticking out sickeningly. Starsky wrapped his right hand round it, grunting in pain. The younger man grinned and made another move, seeing an opportunity that wasn't there. With lightening speed, Starsky swivelled on his left leg, bringing his body round and behind Dante's. Grabbing a hold of the big guy's neck with his injured left arm, he drove his assailant to the ground and straddled him. Dante reached up and took a hold of the blade, twisting it savagely into Starsky's flesh. The curly haired man hissed in pain and grabbed both of Dante's wrists. The black haired guy panted hard beneath the brunet as Starsky stared down into the younger man's face.

'Don't make assumptions and don't underestimate your opponent buddy' Starsky smiled grimly down into Dante's angry eyes. The black haired man struggled, his arms pinned above his head by the cop.

'I haven't underestimated you. You're the one with the blade in your arm. I've just got your measure' he bluffed in a voice that sounded unsure.

'Yeah? Are ya gonna be a good boy and play nice? You should go home an' get some practice before ya play with the big boys' Starsky said, getting up and holding out his right hand to help his opponent up. Dante ignored it and got to his feet, hastily brushing the sand from his jeans.

'Oh I'll play with the big boys alright. Just make sure you're ready for me, that was just a taster. You think you can lead the pack? You don't know shit man. Just make sure you watch your back, and keep your hands off my girl.'

Starsky grinned. 'Go home to Mom and come back when you're all growed up huh? And as for me watchin' my back, don't worry about me, think about yourself.' Without a backwards glance, Starsky walked unhurriedly away, feeling Dante's eyes boring into the back of his head. As he rounded the sand dune, he grabbed for his left arm, feeling sick and dizzy. The blade still stuck out obscenely from his muscle and he knew better than to pull it out. Instead he held his left arm close to his chest and made his way quickly back to the house. Pushing open the door, he was just in time to see Hutch reaching for the phone.

The blond looked up and replaced the receiver as Starsky staggered in and Hutch rushed over to put a steadying arm round the brunet's waist.

'Starsk, what the hell? Where've ya been? What happened?'

'All good questions, an' when the room stops spinnin' long enough I'll answer 'em' Starsky said thickly. The pain of the wound and the adrenaline from the fight left him feeling weak and disorientated and he sat down heavily on a char in the corner of the room, his head hanging down as Hutch hurried to get the first aid box.

Hunkering down in front of the smaller man, Hutch examined the knife. The blade seemed to be about four inches long, three of which were buried deep in Starsky's biceps. Blood seeped from around the metal and trickled in a sticky line down the brunet's arm.

'Damn buddy, that must hurt.'

'Ya think?' Starsky smiled weakly.

Without thinking, Hutch reached up to gently probe the wound, but Starsky pulled away with a hiss.

'Blondie – gloves' he whispered, his eyes closed against the pain.

Hutch stopped in his tracks. Gloves! How could he have forgotten? Bad enough for one of them to be infected, but it made him realise just how easily it could happen, and just how impossible it would be for Starsky to go to a hospital for treatment.

Pausing to snap on some latex gloves, the blond started to examine the wound more closely. 'If you weren't…..ya know…. I'd take you to the hospital to get this seen to' he said softly.

'If I weren't "ya know" I wouldn't be in this mess' Starsky answered wearily.

'Run that by me again.'

'I met the girl – Talicia – down on the beach. We talked and um…. Anyway, we talked some more. She's nice. She um…. she says she'd be my… hell this is so foreign! She'd be an important part of my life, an' I have to say, the prospect isn't so bad. I even agreed to meet with her an' the pack tonight. But on the way back here, I met one of the members who wasn't so pleased to see me.'

'And they did this?' Hutch asked.

'Yeah. Nice welcomin' present huh?'

'Yeah, sure is. Starsk, this needs to come out.'

'You don't say.'

'An' it's gonna hurt.'

'Hutch, you're the master of the blatantly obvious.'

The blond grinned sheepishly. 'I'm no doctor, an' I can't take you to see one buddy.'

'I know. Just do it huh? Don't keep me in suspense. I'll heal.'

'Ok, well, let me get the stuff together.'

Hutch got himself a bowl of water, some gauze and Starsky shivered as he watched the blond pour some antiseptic into the water. He licked his lips nervously and looked away as Hutch sat down by the side of him.

'Ready?' the blond asked

'No, but don't let that stop ya.'

'Ok buddy. On three. One. Two' Hutch took a hold of the blade and ripped it smoothly from the torn edges of the wound, slamming a wadded piece of gauze over the hole and holding it firmly in place.

Starsky yelped, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. 'What happened to three?' he asked through gritted teeth.

'Oops.'

Pained indigo eyes focused on his partner. 'I knew you were gonna do that.'

'Well in that case, you should've been prepared. Next time someone comes at ya with a knife buddy, either run faster, or duck quicker. My nerves won't stand too much more of this.'

Starsky chuckled grimly. 'Neither will mine Pal. Neither will mine.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Fortunately, it was the cop's rostered day off that day and so after Hutch had bandaged Starsky's arm, the brunet took himself off to his room and to bed. He knew what would be coming next and he wasn't mistaken. Maybe an hour after he lay down to get some much needed sleep, the fever rose in him.

Starsky had had it once before, when a group of wolves had jumped him in the back street behind Ridgeway. They'd messed him up pretty badly then and he'd only just managed to stagger his way home and call Hutch. That had been before he'd had his first moon and it had been Perry who had had to explain that one of the good things about lycanthropy was the accelerated healing. However, the acceleration was also accompanied by a healing fever. Then, with substantial injuries, the brunet had shivered and shaken through a full day as his body healed itself almost before Hutch's eyes. Now, with only the knife wound to heal, the fever was not as vicious, but still it left the brunet shuddering on the bed, soaking his bed sheets with sweat, once the fever had broken.

Hutch stayed with Starsky throughout the morning, sponging his forehead and generally comforting him. Like old times, the blond fell into full "mother hen" mode, bringing drinks, changing sheets and talking when Starsky wanted to.'

'So what's this Talicia like?' he asked when Starsky finally awoke.

Fever bright eyes regarded him carefully. The brunet hitched himself up on the bed, feeling that his arm was mending already. 'She's cool. Different than I thought. She's a chemist.'

'Like Cheryl?'

'Kinda, yeah.'

'What did you get up to all night?'

'Talkin' mostly. She was tellin' me about the pack members. They sound pretty ordinary. One of em's even a Judge, she told me.'

Hutch snorted. 'Wonder which one?'

'It's gotta be Steiger. I always thought he was savage' Starsky said. He fidgeted on the bed and winced as he put pressure on his arm.

'How's it doin'?' Hutch asked.

'Feels better. Just leave the bandage on an' it'll be fine' the brunet said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He grunted as he stood up and made a grab for Hutch's shoulder. 'The healin' thing is great, but the journey could do with a little work.'

The blond watched his partner head for the shower. 'What time do you have to be there?' he shouted.

Starsky's curly head poked back round the door. 'Talicia said 8:00. I can't believe I'm really goin'. Kinda freaks me out. I was wonderin'…. No, don't matter.'

'What? Tell me.'

The brunet leant on the door jamb casually. 'I was wonderin' if you'd come with me Blondie.'

'Me? Would it be allowed? I mean, I'm not part of the club' Hutch said doubtfully.

Starsky grinned. 'Well I guess if they want me as their leader, I can bend some of the rules a bit huh? So will ya? For moral support?'

The flaxen haired cop nodded. 'Sure thing buddy. Now go take your shower. Gotta make yourself pretty for the ladies.'

'Hutch, when're ya gonna learn? I don't need a shower to make myself pretty' Starsky snickered as he ducked out of the way of the cushion the blond threw in his direction.

7:50 saw the red Torino draw to a halt at the beginning of a smart suburban street in Beverly. Starsky pulled over to the side of the road and sighed a little shakily. 'It looks so ordinary. Who'd have thought that a pack of werewolves got together once a week here. This is more bridge parties and Canasta then bitin' and tail waggin'.'

'Well, wag your best tail partner. You're supposed to make a good impression.'

'What time is it?'

'Five minutes since you asked last time.'

'Ok, I'll give it five more minutes. I don't want to seem too eager.'

'Starsk, you're meeting a group of people, not goin' on a first date.'

'Somehow that's what it feels like though.'

Hutch looked at his half hunter watch. 'It's almost eight. C'mon hot shot. Time to make your mark.'

Starsky got out of the car with a grunt. 'Make my mark huh? Sounds like I should be peein' on the tyre or sumthin.' He straightened his tee shirt, pulled his jacket straight and with Hutch a pace behind him, he walked down the drive to the large whitewashed house and rang the doorbell. A moment later Talicia opened the door and smiled as she saw Starsky.

'I'm glad you decided to come' she said as she stood aside to let him in. The woman made no comment as Hutch followed and silently she showed both men into a well appointed and nicely furnished sitting room. There were already five other people there, two women, who Talicia introduced as Betty, a grade school teacher and Mandy, a hairdresser. The three men sitting on the easy chairs were also introduced. Eddie, a middle aged and slightly balding train driver; Marcus, the lawyer; and Ian Steiger, the Judge. Starsky smiled inwardly at seeing the man he'd always thought of as slightly odd.

'We're just waiting for a few more. Dante, John and Catherine. They're the younger set. They're always later.'

Starsky stood in the middle of the room, feeling uncomfortable with everyone's eyes on him. He smiled nervously. 'Um….pleased to meet you' he started quietly.

'Tally tells me she met you this morning. We're glad you've come' Betty said. She was a homely woman. Mummsy and well padded and the brunet felt comfortable enough to smile back.

'This is Hutch. He's my partner. We're…'

'Policemen, yes. We've met' the Judge said. 'Glad to have you on board Sergeant Starsky.'

'Please, call me Starsky….or Dave, or….' The brunet tailed off. This all seemed so crazy, sitting in a middle class sitting room with people he wouldn't normally meet with and who he knew changed, like he did every month into something he still regarded as a monster. And yet at the same time he felt a calmness he hadn't felt in month since before he'd been infected. He felt warm, cosseted and secure for the first time and as he looked around at the people in the room, most of them looked back at him with friendly eyes and welcoming smiles. They also looked at him with expectation – as though they expected him to some how take charge.

'Hutch isn't wolfkind, is he?' Eddie asked conversationally.

'No, he um. I asked him to come.'

'Needed moral support?' The snide remark came from Dante as he walked into the room, followed by two others who Starsky took to be Catherine and John.

'I asked him to come because we're partners. We share a lot of our lives and I wanted him to know what his partner had gotten himself into' the brunet said smoothly.

Talicia looked form cop to black haired youth. 'You two have met?' she asked.

'Oh yeah, we met' Starsky said with feeling.

'How is your arm?' Dante asked.

'Fine. How's your pride. It seemed to take quite a beatin'.' Starsky replied seeing the flash of anger behind the green eyes.

The woman stood between the two men but she searched Dante's face. 'What did you do?' she asked.

'We talked. I told him to keep his hands off of you.'

'You had no right! I can speak for myself Dante, I don't need you to stake your claim, you know the protocols well enough.' While Talicia and the young man continued arguing, Betty drew Starsky and Hutch to one side.

'Dante is our youngest member, but he's been a wolf the longest. He was turned when he was only 13' she explained quietly. 'He thinks he should be the next leader.'

Starsky cocked his eyebrow. 'What's to stop him?'

The older woman looked pityingly at him. 'Hopefully, you.'

'Why me?'

'Because Lya chose you' Betty said simply.

'And the rest of you have no say in the matter. You don't even know me' the brunet protested.

'We don't need to. Lya knew what we needed and she saw it in you. There's anarchy in the pack at the moment. We need a strict but fair leader. Dante might know the ways of the wolf, but he's young and passionate. He's too immature to lead us, but he doesn't want to acknowledge that.'

'So I'm supposed to stake my claim?'

The woman appraised him critically. 'If you want to.'

'And if I don't?'

Betty sighed. 'How have you felt, since you were turned? I'm guessing that you've been anxious, scared, angry and confused.'

Starsky nodded. 'All that an' more besides.'

'If you were to take your rightful place, a lot of that would go. You'd find some peace, along with friendship and your power would grow. At the moment, you have no choice but to change with the moons, but if you were to go through the rituals to become leader, that would change. You, like no one else, would have the ability to choose to change, not just at the full moon, but any time you wanted, and that is a truly powerful gift.'

The argument between Talicia and Dante had reached a climax. Both were yelling at each other, while John and Catherine, the two other youngsters had backed off and seemed to be trying to blend into the woodwork.

Suddenly something snapped in Starsky's head as he watched the two pack members. He strode over and put himself between Talicia and Dante, facing the angry young man.

'Will you shut your pie hole for one minute' he snapped at the green eyed man.

'Don't tell me what to do cop. The others might like to think you're supposed to be the leader, but I don't share their optimism.'

Starsky put his hand up, trying to silence Dante. 'Just shudup an' listen huh? First of all, no one can lay claim to Talicia. She's her own woman an' she can choose whoever she wants, is that clear? Second, I never asked for this to happen. I didn't know Lya for long, but she meant a lot to me, and I feel honoured that she chose me. I don't know if I can lead anyone, let alone a werewolf pack, but maybe you should gimme a chance huh? if I fail, you have the pleasure of sayin' "I told ya so".

Hutch stood with his back to the wall, seeing a completely different side to his partner. Gone was the cocky, slightly off the wall brunet. In his place stood a man who was suddenly anxious to find his place in a new society and one where he would, and could take command.

But while Hutch was impressed by Starsky's talk, Dante seemed to be inflamed by the brunet's words. The young man's face turned red in anger and his hands balled into fists and his chest heaved in indignation. He looked over Starsky's shoulder at the other people in the room.

'Are you listening to him? Do you honestly think he can lead the pack? He didn't even know I was a pack member for God's sake.'

'Dante, cool it. He's new to this, but Lya had faith in him, and I think we should give him a chance' Eddie said calmly, trying to smooth over the young man's indignation.

'Just like a fuckin' lawyer! You just want to choose him coz he's older an' a cop.'

'That's not the case at all!' Eddie shouted Dante down. 'Just give him a chance!'

Dante looked at the crowd around him. His eyes sought out John's looking to his friend for moral support, but the young man looked away and Starsky had the fleeting vision of a dog with it's tail tucked tightly between his legs. He felt a little sorry for Dante, who obviously felt his rightful position had been usurped. But while he felt sorry for the youngster, Starsky also knew that he couldn't show any weakness.

'You've got me here, an' I'm gonna try to make this work. You can like it or you can lump it, but I'm tellin' ya now, it's either my way, or the highway.'

With a snarl of rage, Dante raised his fist and swung at the brunet. This time however, Starsky was ready for him and ducked down, launching his own low like a pile driver into Dante's solar plexus. The young man bent double, clutching at his stomach and wheezing, silvery beads of saliva stringing from his mouth as he fought for breath. With tearing eyes, he looked around at the other pack members who looked back steadfastly, but refused to side with him.

With remarkable strength, Dante straightened up, staring into Starsky's eyes. 'You'll be sorry' he hissed as he turned and ran from the room. For a moment, the brunet made to go after him, but Ian put a hand n his shoulder, holding him back.

'Let him sort this out himself' he said. 'He's young and his pride has been hurt.'

The brunet nodded. 'I guess. But I also think it's time for me to duck out. Talk about it. If you really want me as a leader, you know where to find me, but I don't feel much like hanging round tonight.'

Smiling at Talicia, the brunet turned and walked from the room with Hutch in tow. As they got outside, Starsky let out the breath he'd been holding. They walked down the drive to the car and as they got in, Starsky unzipped his jacket and sighed. 'Well that went well' he muttered, as he started the engine.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Dante ran from the house, his mind in a righteous turmoil. He was the oldest surviving werewolf in terms of how many moons he'd survived. He was the one who'd been subordinate under Ted, and then Ethan, Lya's mate, and now he felt justified in thinking that it was his turn to be Luprex. He knew the score. He'd learned to handle his lycanthropy so that he could live an almost normal life. The young man felt that he had more than enough knowledge to share with the pack and yet still, they wanted someone older and what they considered wiser.

The young man set off at a run, not really knowing where he was going. He ran for the sake of it and because when he was running he felt more in control of himself than at any other time. Running was the one thing he was really good at. At school, he'd been on the track and field team and had excelled, winning medal after medal. While academically he was a nothing, on the track, he was a king and the feeling of supremacy it gave him was something he treasured. It was also something he wanted to emulate within the pack.

Dante had always been out on the fringes of wolf society. Never feeling as though he'd quite made the grade as either a scholar or as a peace keeper. Yet he craved acceptance and he hated that some stranger with only four moons to his name could come straight into the pack and take command.

The young man's feet pounded the sidewalk, his breath whistling in his ears. In his headlong flight, he almost tripped over a kid on a skateboard, hurtling round the corner. The little boy came off the board, hitting the concrete hard and he started to yell, but Dante carried on his run regardless. Crossing an intersection, he didn't see the large green Jaguar coming at him up the street. He bounced off the hood of the car, fell to the ground, rolled and got to his feet in one fluid movement, starting to run again even as he yelled obscenities over his shoulder at the stunned blond woman behind the wheel.

So caught up in his flight was he that he didn't see the pick up truck tailing him down the street. Dante didn't notice the driver with his hooded eyes, ten gallon hat and dirty long raincoat. But the driver noticed him.

Clarke Maddox had had his eye on the Bay Pack for some time. He knew most of the members by sight and he hated every single one of them. He'd laughed out loud when he'd beaten Ethan, the last Luprex to a pulp before putting a silver bullet through his brain. He'd tried to kill the curly headed one in the cave, but had succeeded only in killing Lya, the Queen instead. But in Maddox's eyes, the only good werewolf was a dead one and he'd felt that the exercise was not entirely in vain. He couldn't kill the Judge or the lawyer, although he would dearly have loved to, but there again, they didn't really hold much standing in the pack. In order to really hurt the Bay wolves, he needed to keep them leaderless and without purpose. It was the leaders or nothing.

The curly one, he knew now was a cop and had yet to take up his status as Luprex. Until Starsky did, the other members of the pack were single units and without the solidarity the pack gave them. Maddox had missed his chance back in the cave and now Starsky seemed always to be with his blond partner. Whilst Clarke Maddox was waiting for his chance to kill the future Luprex, he didn't mind taking out some of the lesser pack members just to keep his hand in. He'd been staking out Division Street for some time and had seen the young dark hared man coming and going. Dante had a cocky attitude and Maddox realised that one day, Dante too might have his chance at leadership. What better chance to eliminate another potential Luprex than now, but maybe, while he was waiting for his opportunity with Starsky, he could have some fun with the youth.

Dante was continuing to run and didn't see the pick up truck speed up behind him. They'd come to a patch of open land where houses gave way to a large park and at this time of night, there were no joggers or kids around. As Dante started to turn to run through the park, Maddox sped the truck up, slammed on the brakes and screeched to a halt. In one swift movement, the hunter was out of the truck and aiming his gun at the retreating youth. Dante stopped, hearing the truck behind him. He turned and was about to yell something at Maddox when the youth felt something sharp sting the flesh of his neck. Reflexively, he put up his hand and felt the dart sinking up to the feathers. He pulled it out with a hiss of pain, but the needle had already delivered its sedative into Dante's bloodstream.

With rapidly fading vision, Dante watched Maddox put the rifle down on the front seat of the truck and walk unhurriedly towards him. As the young man fell to his knees, the blood singing in his ears, he felt the hunter's hands on him, pulling a rope collar tight around his neck so that the harsh hemp bit into him. As Dante fell forwards unconscious, Maddox took the rest of the rope and hobbled the young man, tying the length of rope from his neck round his wrists now pulled behind his back. He completed the hogtie by pulling Dante's feet up and securing his ankles together and then tying them too to his wrists. As though lifting a lightweight, Maddox hefted the youth over his shoulder and dumped him into the back of the truck. Then he got behind the wheel, and calmly drove off back to his camp.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The pain in his wrists and neck brought the young werewolf back to consciousness slowly. It felt strange. There was a constant pull on his neck, making it difficult for him to swallow and his chin seemed to be pulled up high. With a low groan Dante opened his eyes and took his first look at Clarke Maddox's camp, high up in the hills above Bay City.

He was suspended from something that looked unnervingly like an old fashioned gallows set in the middle of a dirt street. Run down houses lined Rock Ridge's main pull and right by Dante's resting place was Maddox's office, proclaiming "Sheriff" above the door.

Fear clawed at the young man's chest, his heart hammering like a trip hammer against his ribs. He knew of Clarke Maddox, every werewolf in this are did, but he'd always managed to avoid the hunter. Until now.

Dante's wrists were still tied behind his back and so he could give himself no relief from the noose holding him upright by his neck. There was little play in the rope and as it had held him up while he'd been unconscious, it was now settled into a bloody furrow round his neck. The young man swallowed painfully and looked around him nervously.

Whether it was the smell of Dante's fear, or whether Maddox had been waiting for signs of life didn't matter. Now that his young captive was awake, the greasy haired Wildman stalked out importantly into the street, followed by three or four of more men. All toted rifles and all had their predatory eyes on the bound youth.

'Lookee here guys. Look what I brought back for a bit of target practice' Maddox grinned as he circled the gallows. Dante tried to follow him, but he was perched precariously on his toes in order to draw breath. His green eyes were wide with fear and his breath caught in his throat as the men in front of him shouldered their rifles.

'Want us to finish him here?' one of them asked, sighting his bead on the frantic youth. Dante struggled to free his wrists but succeeded only in tearing the skin on his wrists.

'Well if ya want, but it's a waste of some sport' Maddox said lightly. 'I was gonna see how many bullets we could put in his before he lost it completely.'

Dante let out a frightened whimper and then clamped his lips closed, refusing to let them know just how terrified he was. his eyes fixed on Maddox, who had made his way round to the front again.

'What's it to be boy? Wanna join in the fun?' Maddox asked, grinning up at Dante.

'Fuck off' the youth spat out.

Maddox put his rifle to his shoulder and squeezed off a round, slicing through Dante's upper shoulder. The silver bullet stung the youth and he cried out in pain, swinging in his bonds.

'Talk like that'll only prolong the agony boy.'

'Let me go an' I'll fuckin' kill the lot of ya' Dante tried again. This time, the second bullet hit him mid thigh, eliciting another scream of pain.

'I don't think so boy. Why should we let ya go huh? this is so much more fun. Target practice on a filthy little monster. It's almost a shame to waste the slugs.'

'The pack'll come for me. They'll kill you.'

Maddox grinned. 'The pack don't even know you've gone an' even if they did, why would they come after you. They didn't even want ya. You're nothin' to 'em' the hunter taunted.

'Am too. I was gonna be their leader. I was gonna be Luprex' Dante bragged. Another bullet sliced through his side, leaving a trail of blood in its wake and the youth's resolve and front of bravado finally sheered away. 'Nooo, no more, please' he begged, the noose tightening imperceptibly round his neck.'

'No more? We're only just warmin' up boy. You're gonna wish you'd never been born. Or maybe you wish that already huh? It must have hurt when the rest of your filthy friends didn't want you to take over. Felt bad did ya? Mad as hell, I should think.'

It touched a raw nerve and suddenly Dante could see maybe a way out.

'I can give him to ya' he moaned through the pain.

'Who?'

'I can give ya the Luprex. Starsky. Dave Starsky. You want to hunt him, don't ya? Well I can make it easier for ya if you let me go' Dante pleaded.

'You got my attention boy. Carry on.'

'Take his girl. His new girl Talicia. Take her an' he's sure to follow. Do it right an' you can take that blond partner of his too' the young man said quickly, his pain arguing with him.

'So he's got a girl already? Has he rutted yet? That's how your kind pass on leadership aint it?'

'He hasn't gone through the ceremony yet, but he likes her. He'll do anythin' to protect her' Dante mumbled, warming to his task.

Maddox climbed up onto the gallows and stood nose to nose with the bound wolf. Slowly and almost lovingly, he reached up and squeezed the wound on Dante's arm, making the youth writhe in agony.

'You wouldn't be puttin' me on would ya?' he asked playfully.

'No….no…..get her…..get him' Dante gasped, swinging on the end of his rope.

Maddox turned back to his friends. 'What d'ya think boys? Do we let the pup go in return for his sire?'

There was a host of nods and swiftly, Maddox cut through the ropes binding Dante's

wrists and then through the noose rope. The young man dropped to his knees,

wheezing and clutching at his throat as he gasped for breath.

'Well, don't hang around boy. We might change our minds' Maddox said lightly, nudging at Dante's body with his toe. The boy looked up, staggered to his feet and set off running up the dirt street. Behind him he could hear the men laughing.

'Non one likes a traitor' Maddox yelled. 'Even worse when the traitor's a filthy werewolf monster.' The hunters put their rifles up to their shoulders and squeezed off their rounds as Dante fell to the ground in a hail of bullets. More than a dozen slugs ploughed into the youth's body as he sprawled in the dirt and in the silence after the shooting had finished, the men turned away back to the sheriff's office. There was no point in checking – Dante was dead.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The two detectives drove back to the beach house in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts. Hutch had found it a revelation to meet the other members of the pack to see that they were ordinary members of society trying to get on with their lives while they dealt with a disease, just as someone who was blind, or deaf or had epilepsy tried to deal with their issues. It gave the blond some insight into what his partner was going through and the possibilities that lay ahead for Starsky. In a way, it had given the blond a ray of hope that if lawyers and judges and teachers could lead a reasonably normal life while dealing with lycanthropy, then maybe Starsky could too.

Hutch had also seen another side to his buddy – one that he'd only ever seen in the past when the brunet had had to confront his Army past. Only then – and in the past hour – had Hutch seen leadership qualities in Starsky that the brunet himself doubted he had. Hutch had always known that the brunet was a personable, if slightly excitable individual. The curly haired cop had a way of being able to put himself on the level of whoever he was talking to. He could talk the talk of the street with the flakes dealing drugs and was equally comfortable talking plea bargains with high powered lawyers. Hutch had seen Starsky slam a suspect up against an interview room wall, his indigo eyes boring into the man until they'd finally broken, but he'd also watched as the smaller man had sat quietly, holding a frightened woman's hand as he gently coaxed a statement from her. Starsky was a man of many parts and tonight, the role he'd seen most had been of Luprex, the next leader of the Bay pack. The individuals in that room had, for the most part accepted Starsky without question, allowing him to take charge while at the same time showing him deference.

Starsky's head too was full of thoughts of his role. Did he want it? Was he ready for it? Could he do it? And what would the impact n his private life be? Most of all, the brunet knew without a shadow of a doubt that he wanted and needed Hutch in his life no matter what. The blond was brother, friend, confidant. He was the yin to Starsky's yang, the day to the brunet's night and the balance the curly haired cop so desperately needed. Hutch was his voice of reason, always there with an understanding word or touch, and that meant more to Starsky than life itself. Whatever he was going to do with the pack, he knew he needed to include Hutch in it and it had been with relief that the other pack members hadn't turned their back and the tall flaxen haired man.

They got out of the car and went into the house, but tonight, instead of having to head down to the basement and his cage, Starsky could sleep quietly in his own bed, the ordeal of the moon finally over for another month. Perry was waiting for them when they got in and silently she got up and took three bottles of beer from the fridge for them. She handed one each to Hutch and the brunet.

'How did it go? She asked.

'About like you'd expect' Hutch said none committally, looking at his partner. Starsky shrugged his shoulders.

'They were ok. Nice even, except for the flake I met out on the dunes earlier. Dante. He made it pretty obvious that he didn't want me to be anywhere near.'

Perry nodded. 'It was only to be expected I suppose. I mean, from what I understand, he's been turned for a long time. He has a right to feel a little hurt, but he's young, he should get over it.'

'I guess' Starsky agreed slowly.

'So, have you reached your decision?'

The brunet sat back, leaning against the cushion on the back of the sofa. He closed his eyes, and thought. Had he reached a decision? He sighed softly.

'Honestly? I don't know. I mean it's a big thing. Who am I to say I could lead anyone?'

'You seemed to take it naturally tonight' Hutch joined in.

Starsky snickered. 'Didn't have a whole lotta choice, did I? But there was sumthin. I felt kinda different when I was there.'

'Different as in "King of the Jungle" different? The blond asked, straight faced.

'Hutch, this is wolves, not fuckin' lions. No, I felt….calmer. More in control. It's difficult to explain, but in the last few months I've never been able to relax. I've always been on edge, like I didn't fit in anywhere. I can't pretend I'm "normal", whatever normal is, coz patently I'm not any more.'

'You never were normal buddy' Hutch snorted softly. He held his hand up as Starsky glared at him.

'You asked me, an' I'm tryin' to tell you. Are ya gonna listen?'

Hutch nodded and took another chug of beer.

'I've felt like I've had a foot in both camps, but I haven't really belonged to either. I mean, for most of the time, I fit in ok with normal folks, but then the moon does it's thing an' suddenly I'm sumthin else. Until now, though, I haven't really know what else, but tonight, bein' in the room with 'em. Didn't you feel it Hutch? the power? The…I dunno what to call it, but somehow I felt for the first time in a long time like I belonged…..an' I kinda liked it.'

'So you have made your choice' Perry said quietly.

'Yeah, but it aint the one they want. I want to be part of 'em…..no, strike that, I think I need to be. But at the same time, I don't want the responsibility of leadin' 'em. That's not me. That's not what I'm all about.'

'But they want you to buddy. You heard 'em. They told you, if Lya chose you, then they were behind her a hundred percent.'

'Fine. Thing is I'm not behind me one hundred percent. You saw 'em Blondie. Some of 'em have been werewolves for longer than I care to think about. Hell, I haven't even come to terms with what I am yet…..don't even fully know what I am' Starsky said, trying to get his head into some sort of shape to understand.

'You're Dave Starsky. The same Dave Starsky you've always been buddy, but now you're stranger and faster and….. think of the positives. You're healthier now than you've ever been, even before Gunther' Hutch said, sitting forward in his seat. 'Give 'em a chance. They need a leader and they think you're it.'

Starsky snorted. 'Well this leader is dog tired, if you'll pardon the pun. The moons always take it out of me. I need to sleep, an in a proper bed. Maybe I'll feel better about all this in the mornin', maybe not.'

Hutch nodded. 'See you tomorrow partner. Don't hurt your head thinkin' too hard, it was never your strong point.'

The brunet snickered. 'Just wait till I'm the great white wolf, or whatever. I'll get my own back.'

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Talicia sighed as she came back into the room and sat down. Ian, John, Catherine, Betty and Eddie all looked expectantly at her. Despite her youth, she was acknowledged as Lya's second in command and now they awaited her comments.

'Dante was way out of order' she said as she ran her hand through her chestnut locks.

'He's young, and he's hurt' Betty said. 'He'll get over it. You'll see. He'll be back here tomorrow as though nothing has happened.'

'I hope so, he's so hot headed, I always worry he'll get himself into trouble. He's already said he doesn't like Dave too much.'

'And you do' Ian said steadily.

Talicia looked up sharply. 'Yes. Yes I do. I think he'd be good for us.'

'He's new to all this. Do you really think he's the chosen one. I mean, couldn't Lya have made some sort of mistake?' Eddie asked quietly.

'He's new, yes, and to be honest, I think right now we'd be doing more for him than he would for us, but didn't you feel it Eddie? Didn't you feel his power? It filled the room!'

Betty sighed. 'Well, we can't force him. It has to be David's own choice. He seemed unsure of himself, we shouldn't force him into anything.'

'To hell with force. He has no choice' Ian snapped. 'We need a leader. Lya chose him, he has no say in the matter. Tally, I admire your confidence in him, but we need to let him know that this is not a choice, this is destiny.'

The young woman smiled at the judge's passion. 'Always the poet Ian. Destiny huh? I wonder if he thought of it that way when Lya turned him. He had no choice in that.'

'But Dave didn't seem to mind consolidating their relationship' Ian countered.

'He was consumed with the fire. Do you really think he had enough free will to resist?'

Talicia sighed. 'I don't know. We've met with him, and whatever you say, there's no way that I'm going to force him to do anything. Dave is his own man, he'll come to his own decisions.'

'Well so long as he hurries. We've already lost Xavier, I don't want any more blood on our hands' the judge said reluctantly.

'I know, I know and right now, I'm hoping he'll make the right decision too, but we've done all we can. The rest is down to Dave. Right now, I'm exhausted. Moons past, lets all get some rest huh? I'll ring you all if I hear anything.'

Talicia got up and walked towards the door. 'Be careful on your way home honey' Betty called. 'Do you want me to run you home?'

Tally smiled at the older woman. 'No, I'm fine. Been cooped up for three nights. I'm going to enjoy the walk and maybe get some fresh air. Be good everyone, see you all next week.'

There was a general murmuring of goodnight and be careful and Talicia made her way outside and into the deserted street. They always met at Ian Steiger, the judge's house as it was the biggest and would cause the least suspicion. The judge frequently had meetings at his home, so the same group meeting most Tuesdays was nothing unusual. Rubbing the back of her neck to ease away some of the tension, Tally started to walk up the street and back towards the main town.

Beverly was a lovely suburb. Green and leafy and with broad streets lined with trees. The fresh, cool night air felt good on her hot skin and on a whim, she set off at a steady jog, enjoying the feeling of freedom after nights cooped up behind a locked door, waiting for the moon to wane.

Turning the corner, she jogged along the main road and out towards the coastal road. Here, she headed for the beach and out onto the hard packed sand down by the water's edge. The sound of the waves filled her ears and the night sky was full tiny diamonds of light in a vast swathe across the heavens. The moon, now friend and not foe, shone down, casting cold, clear shadows across the pale sand and the water nibbled at her toes as the waves advanced and retreated. Tally stopped for a moment, gazing out at the ocean, breathing the salt tang of the night air.

Dave would come round tot their way of thinking, she was sure. She already felt a connection to the curly haired cop and could feel it growing stronger. While his blond haired partner had kept him caged and locked up like some kind of beast, she prowled through the dark recesses of his dreams, exploring his mind and his thoughts, invading his senses. She could be his lover. She wanted to be his Queen, but she had no right to decide. Only David Starsky could do that, if, and when he chose.

With a sigh, she turned and was about to make her way back to the road, when she saw a flash of light on glass in the dunes. Senses on high alert, Tally looked up and down the beach, trying to decide which way to run. To the north was the city, to the south, Dave's house, but as she peered through the dark, using her highly attuned eyes to pierce the darkness, she saw men coming at her from all three directions. Like a deer caught in headlights, for a moment, the woman froze, her limbs paralysed with fear as she recognised Clark Maddox's figure walking purposefully down the beach, rifle in hand.

The three men were closing on her, cutting off all direction of retreat now. Her eyes darted left and right looking for a means of escape, but as she started to try to dodge past the man on her right, his hand shot out and grabbed her, flinging her back into the centre of the group.

Now all three men were within touching distance of her. She could smell them, their sweat and cigarette smoke choking her and Maddox made a grab for her arm. She shook herself free and immediately another man grabbed her from behind, pushing her bodily into the third. The men toyed with her, pushing her from one to the other like a sick game of skittles as Tally's fear mounted.

Twice she made a brake for freedom and twice they caught her, the third time, however, she managed to make a run up the beach a little way before they caught her. Tally turned and faced the, wolf senses now coming to the fore. They charged her and drove her to the sand where she kicked out and spat at them, struggling with the strength of three women as the men held her down.

Maddox grinned down into her face.

'Well look what we've got here boys. This is our lure. This is our little queen. Now all we need is the king and she'll have outlived her usefulness,'

'Only good wolf's a dead one', Deek muttered under his breath.

Maddox snickered. 'Depends what ya want to do with 'em. Lets get her back to Rock Ridge. After that, there's nothing stoppin' us havin# some sport with her before the cop gets there.'

'You'll never trap Dave' Talicia spat out. 'He's too smart for your kind Maddox.'

'Depends how long he can tolerate hearin' ya scream sweetheart' the hunter grinned and with that, he plunged the needle into Talicia's neck and pressed the trigger watching with satisfaction as the light went out in her eyes.'


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

4:00am is the time when the body is at its lowest point. Temperature is at its lowest, you are more likely to be asleep. Healing takes place as the body takes advantage of its relaxed state. REM sleep occurs and waking at that time leaves markers of nausea and dizziness.

When the telephone rang at 4:06 precisely in the beach house, Hutch and Perry were cuddled together in bed, sound asleep and dreaming cosy dreams. Starsky too was sleeping the sleep of the dead, but without a warm and sensuous body to anchor him to his dreams, he was the first to wake. With a groan, he turned over onto his other side and made an uncoordinated grab for the telephone. He missed, cursed under his breath and grabbed again, tucking the receiver under his ear and resting his head back onto the pillow.

'This'd better be good' he mumbled into the mouthpiece without opening his eyes.

'Is this David Starsky?' a worried sounding voice sounded down the line.

'Unless you're gonna tell me I won the lottery, no' the brunet muttered.

'Maddox has Talicia.'

The simple statement woke the curly haired cop instantly and he shot bolt upright in bed, instantly wide awake. 'Who is this?'

'Ian Steiger.'

'Ian, slow down, back up an' take it from the top. Tell me again' Starsky said, scrubbing his hands through his curls.

'I got a phone call from Clarke Maddox, the wolf hunter. He phoned me at my home a little over a half an hour ago. He told me he had Talicia and if we wanted her back I had to have speak to him on the phone. He says he's gonna kill her unless you do.'

'Do you believe him?' Starsky asked, his heart beginning to beat like a trip hammer in his chest. He already knew the answer, but waited anyway.

There was an audible gulp at the other end of the phone. 'I phoned Tally's home but there was no answer, so I phoned her next door neighbour. They're close friends and she went round to Tally's apartment and let herself in. There was no sign of Talicia, she hadn't been back home.' There was an edge of panic in the measured tones of the judge now.

'Ok, gimme the number' Starsky demanded.

'He didn't give it. He says he'll give you till 5:00am to get to my house and answer the phone. I've already summoned the other members of the pack. Will you come? I know you don't know us well, but….'

'I'm on my way. Stay put. If he rings again, tell him I'm comin',' Starsky said as calmly as he could. He put the phone down and ran for Hutch's room, banging on the door.

'Hutch! Hey Blondie, wake up.'

A moment later a dishevelled and bleary eyed blond appeared at the bedroom door. 'What's on fire?' he asked thickly.

'Steiger just phoned me. He says Maddox has taken Talicia. He says the bastard wants to talk to me on the phone at the Judge's house in half an hour. Will ya come?'

Hutch took it all in as Starsky was telling him. 'You need to ask? Gimme a minute' the blond rushed back into the room without closing the door and Starsky could see Perry stirring in her sleep.

'Hutch? What is it love? Are you ok?' the woman asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

'Starsky's had a call from the pack. Maddox has taken Talicia. He wants to speak to Starsk on the phone at 5. We're goin' over there.'

'Then I'm coming too. I know Maddox, I may be able to help' Perry said, getting out of bed. She was naked, but didn't seem to mind Starsky seeing her. The brunet backed away, just a little embarrassed and waited outside the room until both his friends were ready. It took only a few minutes before all three were dressed and bolting for the car.

Starsky took the Torino, saying he felt calmer if he was driving. He turned the car in the direction of Beverly and pushed his sneaker to the metal, accomplishing the trip in a little over five minutes. The big red and white car screeched to a halt outside the big house on Division Street and all three were out of it almost before the last notes of the engine had died.

There were lights showing in the front room window of the house and before they'd had chance to knock, Betty opened the door, a worried look on her face. Starsky walked in, followed by Hutch and Perry and they walked into the large front room to be met by a host of worried and expectant faces.

'Um…you met Hutch. This is….?'

'Perry Turner' Steiger interrupted. 'Good to see you my dear. I didn't know you knew David and his friend.

'Ian, lovely to see you, although I wish it was under better circumstances. Yes, I helped Dave when he was first turned.'

The judge turned to the rest of the pack. 'Everyone this is Perry Turner. She's an agent with the FBI, but we've known each other a long time, since she came over from England. She's a white witch.'

There were mumbled greetings and a few smiles, but the atmosphere in the room was tense, electricity crackling in the silences and fear palpable enough to be like a physical thing in the room.

'What have we got? Tell me exactly what Maddox said' Starsky said, getting immediately down to business.

Steiger too was at once serious, his forehead creased in concentration. 'He phoned and asked if I was Steiger, the Judge. At first I thought it was someone wanting an urgent bail warrant maybe, so I said yes. He said he had something that belonged to the pack. That got my attention. I keep my alter ego very quiet, as do we all.'

There was a general ripple of nods from the others in the room. 'I asked him who was speaking and he said it was Clarke Maddox and that he had Talicia. I asked him what he wanted and why he had her and he said….he….' the judge's voice broke and he put his head in his hands. Immediately, Betty came to stand by his side, putting her arm around him and holding him close.

'Come on, this isn't your fault. You're just the messenger. How did he get her Ian? Can you tell us that?' she asked softly.

The big man seemed to pull himself together. He smiled at the older woman, squared his shoulders and cleared his throat self consciously. 'I'm sorry. Forgive me. Where was I? Ok. Um….I asked him why he had Tally and he said she was a hostage and that he really needed the Luprex. I told him truthfully, that at the moment we don't have one, but he didn't seem satisfied. He said that he knew no one had been through the ceremony, but that one had been chosen and that he wanted Detective Starsky.'

Hutch and Perry cast a glance at the curly haired cop, but Starsky's whole attention was on Steiger. 'Go on' he said grimly.

'Maddox said that he wanted to speak to you at 5:00am. He said he had important things to discuss and that I should persuade you to come. He um…he told me he didn't care who he hurt to get to you. He killed Dante.'

There was a collective gasp around the room and the judge looked as though he were on the verge of collapse. 'Before he put the phone down, I heard a scream. It sounded like Tally. He hurt her. He has her for sure, and now he wants you. I'm so sorry.' Steiger smiled weakly at Starsky.

The brunet's mind was in a whirl, but slowly and surely, his cop persona was taking over and he was running scenarios in his head. He and Hutch had done a course on hostage negotiation as had most of the detectives at the precinct. It was required of most cops, but they'd had to use the skills less than a handful of times, and never when the hostage was someone they knew, or was close to them.

Hutch looked up at the clock. 4:54.

'How d'ya want to play this, partner?' he asked softly, coming to stand by the brunet.

'Dunno, I guess we need to take the call first an' see what the man says. It's a pity we didn't have time to get an extension rigged up.'

'Um, gentlemen, I couldn't help overhearing' the judge said. 'I have a speaker phone for when I deal with urgent applications. You could use that. It's simple, press that button there and pick up the phone.'

The two detectives glanced at each other and back at the clock. 4:58. Starsky looked at the assembled pack.

'Ok folks. When he rings, I need ya quiet huh? We don't want to give him any excuse to get excited. Lets' take this slow an' steady.' There were general nods of agreement punctuated by the phone ringing. Hutch's eyebrows rose.

'Well you can never say the man aint punctual.'

Starsky took a final look around the room. Perry went to sit by Betty as the others sat with frightened faces, looking expectantly at the man they'd hoped would have been their next leader. Starsky pushed the button Steiger had showed him and lifted the receiver.

'Talk to me' he snapped into the phone.

'Is this Detective David Starsky? Or is this Luprex of the Bay Pack?' the voice sounded down the line.

'We'll go with Starsky for now. What d'ya want Maddox?'

'Aww, David! No good morning and how are you? I'm disappointed. I thought the idea of hostage negotiation was all about stalling for time.'

'It's early, I didn't get my sleep an' that usually means I'm pissed, I don't have time for niceties' the brunet growled.

There was a second's silence and then a muffled scream. Starsky held the phone tighter, jamming it to his ear. 'That was a warning cop. Play nice, or she gets a little more grief, capiche?' Maddox's voice suddenly turned hard and guttural.

'I got ya. Leave her alone. It's me ya want.'

'How true. I want you here, alone. In an hour' Maddox said slowly and clearly.

'And in return?'

'In return you can have what's left of your girl.'

'What's….. what do you mean, what's left of her? So help me Maddox, if you've harmed one hair on her head I'm gonna….'

'You're gonna what cop? Kill me? you wouldn't get within a mile of me, I have my defences. Rock Ridge is a werewolf free zone, unless we personally invite 'em. So what's the answer? Are ya gonna accept my invitation, or are ya too chicken? It's you we want Starsky – the next leader. You come, we set her free – fair trade.'

'I'm comin'. Gimme directions' Starsky snapped as he saw Perry shaking her head frantically. Some of the others looked less than happy too, but Starsky was still listening to the hunter as he gave directions. He nodded, grunted and put down the phone, turning to the group.

'He says I've got two hours to get up there' the brunet announced.

Perry stood up and moved over to stand by Hutch and Starsky. 'You don't know what you've done' she said quietly. 'Wasn't there any other way?'

'You heard the man. He wanted me. If Hutch an' me can get up there an' somehow take 'em by surprise, we can get Tally back and be home for lunch.'

The witch looked doubtful. 'You heard him. He has sentries around the settlement. You wouldn't get within a couple of miles without him seeing you.'

'Then I go in, we do the deal an' Hutch finds some way to come back for me before Maddox does…..whatever.'

'He's going to kill you Dave' Perry said softly.

'Not if I can help it. I can talk t him better face to face. I can…'

'No, you don't understand. There's an unwritten law amongst hunters. For most of the month werewolves are humans – normal folks going about their business. It's against the law to kill a human. But during the three nights of the moon, when the wolves are wolves, its seen as ok to kill them. It's three weeks to the next full moon Dave. He'd have all that time to do what he wants with you.'

Starsky's heart rate increased, but he put a brave face on it. 'Well we don't have a lot of options do we? I mean, he wants me an' if I don't go, he'll kill Talicia an' come after us one by one till he gets me. At least this way, we have some control. An' if Hutch "delivers" me, he can get some idea of the lay of the land.'

Hutch too looked uncomfortable. 'Are you sure about this buddy?' he asked.

Starsky turned away, drawing the blond out into the hallway. 'No, I can't say givin' myself up to some mad bastard of a hunter is my first choice in the fun stakes, but what else can I do? At least you can come see what I'm getting' myself into.'

Back in the living room, Steiger was looking around at the rest of the pack. 'Well?' he said. 'Do you still have doubts about whether he's Luprex?'

'He certainly acts like he's the next leader. Who else would give himself up for one of us?' John said.

Betty nodded. 'If he survives this, we can start to plan the ceremony.'


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

One by one, the pack members embraced Starsky while he stood by looking slightly embarrassed. He didn't want to be a hero and certainly wasn't crazy enough to want to walk into the jaws of death but he could honestly think of no other way of getting Talicia back from Maddox's camp. Last to embrace him was Betty and the older woman clutched the brunet to her ample bosom and sniffled.

'I knew Lya wasn't mistaken when she chose you' she said indistinctly, her breath parting the chocolate coloured curls. She composed herself and patted Starsky's arm before letting him go.

Steiger walked with them to the door. 'Are you sure about this? Is there no other way?' he asked.

Starsky passed at the doorway as Hutch made his way to the car. 'You heard the man. Don't worry. Once Tally is back, you can get your heads together and come get me huh?' Without waiting for any further reply, the brunet turned and bounced down the steps to the blond waiting in the Torino. He trotted round to the driver's side and got in, unzipping his jacket before he turned on the engine.

Hutch put his hand on Starsky's arm as the brunet was about to pull away. 'Like the man said, are you sure about this Gordo?'

Indigo eyes locked onto crystal blues and the curly haired man sighed. 'No, course I'm not sure. I've seen Maddox before. He's a callous, unfeeling SOB. He tried to kill me once before, in that cave, but Lya took his bullet. There aint no way I can put another woman through that.'

'But a few hours ago you were sayin' that you were gonna tell 'em you weren't gonna be a leader to the pack. Now you're willing to risk your life to save one of 'em' Hutch said gently.

'It's nothing to do with the pack' Starsky said sharply.

'No? Then what?'

'Would you let a young woman suffer if there was some way you could stop it? Maddox asked for me. Yeah, I know he did it coz I'm a…. freak. But at the same time, I want this opportunity to get back at him. If I'm in his camp, maybe I can do that, and at the very least, I can save Tally, whether or not she's a wolf. She's still a woman. She still deserves to live.'

'And so do you Starsk.'

'Hey, I don't intend to do anythin' stupid, an' I'm relyin' on you to get me out once we've done the swap, if I ever get that far. If we get a chance, we can snatch Tally before we ever do the exchange and we can both be outa there in time for dinner.'

The blond sighed and stared through the window. One of Starsky's more annoying traits – his unending optimism.

The drive up to the hills would have been picturesque. The dusty road of the bay area gave way to pine trees and shaded roads and small lakes, glimpsed through swaying boughs. Ordinarily it would have been Hutch's' favourite type of place – away from it all with just birds beast and nature to contend with. Now however, every tree seemed evil and every bush harboured one of Maddox's men. The higher they climbed, the more the trees thinned out again until they reached, 90 minutes later, the bare, rocky outcrop that gave the hunter's camp it's name.

Rock Ridge was a desolate place. With no grass and very few hardy trees for shade, the sun beat down on the earth, packing it dry and scorching the few plants that survived there. Maddox had obviously chosen the place because it was highly defensible and the good, law abiding people of Bay City would leave him and his hand picked settlers alone. Rock Ridge was populated by werewolf hunters and haters. They kept a low profile, unwilling to draw attention to the settlement of maybe 40 or 50 souls. For most residents of the city werewolves were a myth, an urban legend. Up until 5 months ago, Starsky and his blond partner hadn't believed in them either. Circumstances changed that, however, and now the two men drew to a halt at the foot of a rocky bluff.

'He said here. From here I should walk' Starsky said softly, looking around him.

Hutch too scanned the area. 'I don't see anyone.'

'Eleven o'clock. Up behind the rocks. Another at 3 o'clock hiding behind that bush' the brunet commented conversationally.

The flaxen haired cop looked where his partner was pointing, squinting and shielding his eyes against the harsh sun. 'Where? I don't see anythin'.'

'About half a mile away. They're there.'

Hutch sighed. 'So how do you want to play this buddy?'

'As it comes. He was adamant he'd kill Tally if I didn't come alone, so um…..I walk up there, we do the switch, an' you take Talicia home. After that, either I find a way out, or you find a way to come get me' Starsky said as though he wasn't just signing his own death warrant.

'And what if this is a double cross? What happened to "If we get a chance, we can snatch Tally before we ever do the exchange and we can both be outa there in time for dinner"?'

'Does it look like we can get closer without 'em seein' me? Let's just play it cool. Maddox may surprise us both buddy. He was the one who suggested the swap, an' right now, that's the only thing we have to go on.'

Hutch shrugged. 'It's your ass Cochise.' The blond watched as Starsky shouldered out of his holster. He emptied the magazine from his Smith and Wessen and handed the empty weapon, holster, shield and cuffs to his partner with a wry smile.

'Keep hold of those till I get back huh?'

'Starsk?'

Starsky looked back at Hutch, his hand on the door handle. 'Don't. Don't say it.'

The blond smiled. 'Fine. Go get 'em tiger. See ya.'

'See ya' Starsky said softly, getting out of his beloved car and starting to walk up the hill towards the hidden camp. Hutch watched him go, walking with that same strut in his step as though he were going to the seven eleven for a six pack rather than walking into the lion's den.

Hutch watched him until he was a speck on the horizon and then he settled down to wait for Talicia to appear. He looked at his watch six minutes before seven a.m.

Starsky started the walk up the mountain, the sun hot on his back. He was very aware of the men watching him from various vantage points and caught flashes of sunlight on glass, indicating that they had him in their sights. He counted three, but was sure there were likely to be more watchmen en route. A man like Maddox would leave nothing to chance.

As he walked, Starsky kept his eyes scanning the horizon looking for avenues of escape. As he walked further towards the settlement however, it soon became clear that the hunter had chosen his lair well. Although names Rock Ridge, the settlement nestled in a natural hollow just below the ridge. Once perhaps it had housed a glacial lake, but the water had long since left the place and now, the settlement nestled in a perfectly defensible rocky amphitheatre, it's only way in an out facing south and to the bay. In the very great distance, a sparkle of light showed as it played on the azure blue of the Pacific like a tease, for in Rock Ridge, the only thing they didn't have was a ready water source.

The sun wore Starsky down. At the altitude it burned down fiercely. Rock Ridge had none of the cloying humidity of the Bay area. Its heat was strong, dry and intense as the brunet could already feel the skin on the back of his neck reddening.

Within a quarter of a mile of the settlement, Starsky started to get a little nervous. He's expected Maddox to come out to meet him with Talicia, so that the exchange could take place. There was no sign of the hunter, however, nor of any other member of the camp, but the brunet's wolf senses told him that he was now surrounded. Twice he heard a twig snap in the bone dry earth and once he caught the scent of cheap aftershave wafting to him on the small hot breeze.

Walking slowly and purposefully, he wended his way between boulders on a small single track path, his heart beating wildly now that he was so close to the camp. Where were they? Where was Maddox and more to the point, where was Talicia?

At that precise time. Two things happened simultaneously. The first thing was that starsky realised that this was indeed a trap and that Maddox had had no intension of a trade, and secondly, the brunet felt a sharp sting on the side of his neck.

Dropping to the ground to lower his profile, Starsky clutched at his neck and felt the small feathered dart buried in his flesh. He had no time to turn and run, nor had he any time to shout. The drug delivered into his system rapidly set to work on his body chemistry and blood thundered in the brunet's ears. Getting to his hands and knees, the curly haired cop shook his head like a wounded animal, trying desperately to stop the inexorable creeping numbness pervading his body. His breath rasped in his throat and his lips and tongue felt large and uncoordinated. He clawed at the dirt beneath his hands and as he saw the toe of one dusty boot land on the ground in front of him Starsky gathered his rapidly diminishing strength and lurched to his feet, throwing the dust into the ma's face. It took his assailant by surprise and the guy put his hands up to his face with a roar.

Turning, Starsky tried to focus his eyes on the horizon, breathing hard as he started to run back down the path the way he'd come. He was trapped, but there was still a chance he could use his increased strength and speed to evade capture.

His feet pounded the earth as he ran full tilt down the path, fleet of foot even now that he was drugged. But the chemical in his body slowed him. the dose had been enough to knock out most en within minutes, and yet his sheer grit drove Starsky on, his feet taking him surely down the mountain path. He seemed to be putting a good distance between himself and his attackers and almost had a hope of getting away when he heard a crack from behind him. The shot rang out round the mountain and the bullet found it's mark in the brunet's upper thigh. Another bullet took him on his left side just below his ribs. Neither slug was designed to kill, but both were effective at driving the drugged quarry to the ground where Starsky stayed, his vision narrowing and greying until he could see only a pinprick of light in front of him, and still, the brunet refused to let unconsciousness overtake him.

Starsky heard footsteps on the path behind him and then felt rough hands on his body, pulling him to his feet. The two large men stood panting from their chase, holding Starsky vertical between them. Dust caked the front of the brunet's body and blood flowed from the wounds on his leg and side. In front of him, Clarke Maddox stood grinning.

'Bravo. Helluva show, I gotta say. Most men would be a puddle on the ground by now.'

Starsky forced his head up, squinting at the hunter through eyes that refused to focus properly. 'Aim…..t'please' he managed to mumble.'

'I can see that. Search him' Maddox snapped.

Immediately a fourth man came up behind the cop and started to pat him down roughly. Starsky sweated and clamped his mouth shut as the flake prodded over the bullet wound in his side and then progressed lower. He came back with Starsky's Swiss army knife which he held out to Maddox. The hunter took it.

'I thought I said no weapons?' he snarled.

'Not….weapon…..s'knife…..pocket.'

'Fuck that!' Maddox growled. 'You're gonna understand the consequences of ignorin' my instructions.' With that he drew back his fist and sunk it into the cop's bleeding side. Starsky screamed once, his head thrown back and his lips pulled back from his teeth in a rictus of pain before blessedly, blackness claimed him.

Down the mountain some way, Hutch continued to watch the spot where he'd finally lost sight of his partner. Despite loving the mountains, the blond felt more alone now, waiting, than he'd felt for a long time. He checked his watch constantly, watching the fingers on the face crawl around their circuit. A quarter of an hour elapsed, then twenty minutes…..half an hour. Surely the switch should have taken place by now? The blond got out of the car and scanned the ridge with his binoculars.

Suddenly the mountain rang to the sound of two rifle shots loosed in quick succession. Hutch trained his glasses on the spot where he'd thought they'd emanated from and saw a movement. As he focused the binoculars in on the spot he saw three men emerge from hiding and start running down a path. Covering the trajectory they were taking, Hutch searched lower down the mountain and say his partner slump to the ground as the men bore down on him.

Indecision tore at Hutch's heart. What should he do? Every fibre in his body told him he should race back up the mountain and come to his partner's aid and indeed he started running up the path before common sense started to gnaw at his mind. What if Talicia was still alive? What if Starsky was somehow ok? What if…

Pausing, the flaxen haired cop trained his glasses on the spot again and saw the two men pick up Starsky from the ground. While he could see blood on the brunet's side, Starsky seemed to be holding himself up and so was still alive. Hutch stopped, his mind running in circles. To go charging up there now would mean certain death to Starsky, but ding nothing was eating away at him nonetheless.

Hutch watched through the glasses as the four men circled his partner, did something he couldn't see too well and then dragged Starsky away. Sickened, the blond dropped the binoculars, staring at the spot he'd last seen his buddy before slowly making his way back to the Torino. Switching on the engine, he drove quickly back down the mountain and back to Division Street to start his own council of war


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Hutch felt that the drive back to Bay City was the longest he'd ever experienced. The car – Starsky's car – would not go fast enough and although he had his foot to the metal and was taking the curves like a formula 1 race driver, it seemed to take at least ten years to get back down the mountain and onto the flat. It had taken the two detectives 90 minutes to drive up to Rock Ridge. It took Hutch a little over an hour to get back onto the freeway and across town to Beverly and to Division Street. In all that time, Hutch's mind refused to blot out the final picture he had of his partner, bleeding and held up between two goons while a third man toting what looked like an Enfield rifle walked along at the back. What had happened? What injuries had the brunet sustained? Were they using silver bullets? And what about Talicia? Was she still alive, or had they killed her already? Perry had told him that hunters, in their own code of conduct refused to kill werewolves until the first night of the full moon, but was that really true? If it was, what would they do to Starsky until then?

A hundred years later, and with his heart still in his mouth, Hutch finally drew up outside Division Street switched off the engine and saw several faces looking expectantly out of the judge's front room window. As he got out of the car, he shrugged, holding up his hands to show that he'd come up empty and ran up the drive to be met at the door by Ian.

'Where's Talicia?' Steiger asked immediately, looking over Hutch's shoulder to see if he could see anyone.

'The bastard double crossed us' Hutch snarled as he headed into the living room. Perry was still there, talking quietly with Betty and Catherine. The woman got up and came to stand by her man, putting a supportive arm round his waist.

'And Dave?' she asked.

Hutch shook his head. 'He did exactly as Maddox said. He walked up from the drop off point. I watched him through the field glasses. I lost sight of him, there were two shots fired and then when I picked 'em up again, two of his flakes had picked Starsky up. He was bleedin' but he was still alive. There was no sign of Talicia. They never had any intension of a swap. I had no idea what to do. I mean, I should've gone in there, but if I had….' he finished bitterly.

Perry rubbed his back in small, comforting circles. 'If you had love, they'd both be dead by now. Now it's down to us. Council of war time' she said quietly.

'And what are we going to do?' Eddie asked. 'I mean, we aren't exactly trained in combat and we can't really go to the cops. "Oh excuse me officer, a werewolf hunter has just taken one of our friends who happens to be a wolf…."

'You've got a cop, right here' Hutch snapped. 'Ok, we don't have the whole of the Metro at our disposal, but we do have me, Perry and the pack.'

'We're not fighters' the judge said softly.

'No, you're wolves!' Hutch said quickly realising just how crazy that sounded – or would have done a few months ago. 'Look, we pool our resources. I'm a cop, Perry is a witch and the rest of you….. Well you're wolves. You're faster, stronger then most folks. Surely that's gotta count for somethin'. I've seen what Starsk can do.'

'We aren't Starsky' Betty said. 'Lya chose him because he could handle being Luprex. He was always going to be stronger and faster than any of us. He can heal better, his hearing and sight are better…….we're not like him.'

'No, but you're still faster and stronger than us mere mortals' Hutch said desperately. 'Look, I know you don't have a leader, an' I know I'm not wolfkind, so you have no reason to trust me, but surely ya can't just take this lyin' down. What kind of defeatist attitude is that? They've taken what's ours an' now we fight to get it back.'

The phone rang, cutting off Hutch's pep talk and Steiger answered it. He mumbled into the phone and then handed it to Hutch. 'Maddox, for you' he said wearily. The blond grabbed the phone and jammed it to his ear.

'Hutchinson. Speak to me' he snapped.

'That would be speak to me please, Mr Maddox' the rough voice sounded down the line.

'I play nice when you do. Where's Talicia? And what did you do to Starsky?' Hutch asked quickly.

'The bitch is still safe, right here, and so is the male. He got a little shot up in the capture, but nothin' he won't be able to heal. I wanted to warn you. I got what I wanted. When they've mated, they'll provide me with everythin' I need. Don't try anythin' cop. Don't come lookin' coz you make one wrong move an' they die, right now, both of 'em' Maddox said clearly into the phone.

'What're ya gonna do with them?' Hutch asked. 'They didn't do nothin'. They've not killed anyone.'

'One word Hutchinson. Essence. Remember, if you want to give 'em a few extra weeks of life, no escape plans, no crazy ideas.'

'Now wait a minute' Hutch yelled down the phone, but the line went dead and he was left shaking and staring at the receiver in his hands. Silently he handed it back to Steiger, who replaced it on the cradle. Hutch lifted his eyes to the waiting group and a host of worried faces gazed back at him.

'What did he say, love?' Perry asked softly.

The blond took a moment, processing the information Maddox had given him. His mind blanked, the words echoing around the vaults of his head like ripples on a lake. He shook himself mentally. _C'mon Hutchy, get with the plan. Pull yourself together!_

'Um, he ah….he said not to try to rescue them, that Tally is still alive and Starsk was shot, but nothing he couldn't heal. And then I asked him why he was doing this and he said "Essence". What the hell does that mean?'

Perry gave a strangled moan and looked away for a moment. There was a collective gasp from the group and the blond asked them once again. 'Ok, you're scarin' me. what does it mean?'

His girlfriend guided him to a chair and pushed him down gently, kneeling at his feet as she took his hands and looked up into his worried face.

'It's wolf lore. There is a myth regarding werewolves, that the essence of what they are – the thing that gives them extra strength, sight, hearing, speed – can be somehow captured and used as a way of extending human life. Its rubbish of course, but hunters such as Maddox, and one or two more of the old school hunters believe they can somehow "bottle" or capture the essence and use it, or even sell it for vast sums. Maddox knows he can't kill either Tally or Dave until he next full moon, so he can use this time to….'the woman hitched a breath and wiped a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

'To what?' Hutch asked softly.

'She means they're gonna experiment on them both while they're killing time till the next full moon' Eddie said bitterly. 'And pray they don't come up with anything, because if they do, then they'll keep the two of them like lab rats and milk them of the essence continually.'

'Well hold on a minute, you said it was a myth' the blond asked, confused.

Perry collected herself together. 'As they are at the moment, it is a myth. Not every werewolf has enough of the power to be able to share it.'

'I can hear a "but"' Hutch said warily.

'There is a "but" love, and it's a real doozy.'

'Why do I get the feeling I'm not gonna like it?'

The woman smiled wearily. 'At the moment, Dave isn't Luprex, he hasn't accepted that role. At the moment, he has more power than most wolves, but he's by no means at full strength. Tally is Queen already. She has power, almost as much as Dave, but when they combine, their power will be magnified tenfold and that's what Maddox is hoping to capture.'

'Slow down and back up' the blond said quickly. 'When you say "combine" you mean?...'

'When they mate. They would have to do that in order to share the power of the pack and for Dave to take his place.'

'But he's man, not an animal. You make it sound like he's some kinda breeding machine' the flaxen haired cop protested.

'He's a man some of the time, but you know what this is all about Hutch. He's no ordinary man any longer. He knows it and you know it, I'm just not sure that either of you have accepted it yet.'

'How can I accept something I don't fully understand? Every time I think I have a handle on it, someone throws me a curved ball an' I'm back where I started from. Now you're tellin' me that even though this is the guy I've known for over ten years, I don't really know him at all, and that some flake who has shot him and is holding him as hostage is now tryin' to get him to have sex with a girl who's a complete stranger. Just what part of this should I accept first huh?'

Perry smiled sadly. 'I know this is a lot to take in Hutch, but we will get him back. We just need to plan well and um….pray.'

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The sun was warm on his back. That was the first thing that Starsky noticed as his eyes flew open and he shuddered awake. His last recollection was of pains in his thigh and side, a race down the mountain and then a drug overwhelming his system. He fought with all his strength to remain conscious when Maddox and his goons caught him, but the hunter had shot him up with a double dose of the sedative and he'd finally succumbed, his last thought being of Hutch, Talicia and what was going to happen now.

The healing fever already had Starsky in its grip. He recognised the familiar shaking in his limbs, the sickness in the pit of his stomach and the nagging headache centred over his right eye. He also recognised the dry throat and tongue and the brunet longed for a glass of cool water to ease his hurts.

The curly haired cop groaned softly. He felt hard, compacted earth beneath his body and the hot sun on his skin. What had been pleasantly warm when he was coming around was now hot, and his skin had already reddened. The blood on his side had dried and crusted and as Starsky tried to sit up, he felt the pull of the already healing flesh on flank and thigh. Grunting, he prised his eyes open fully and took his first look around. It was only at that point that he wished he was back in the land of the unconscious.

The brunet found himself in an open sided cage of perhaps 10' by 10'. The ceiling was 4' high, preventing him from standing up inside and it too was composed only of bars, thick as his wrist and made of some kind of metal. Starsky didn't even waste his strength on testing them Maddox would know what was required to keep him hostage. The cage was sited right in the middle of a small, dusty main street in Rock Ridge, most definitely a one horse town. There was no shelter from the elements and there were occasional passers by who peered curiously into the cage, examining him like some kind of exhibit. Starsky ignored them concentrating instead on his body and his feelings.

Propping himself up on his arm, the curly haired man swallowed down the nausea threatening to overwhelm him. the action of swallowing alerted himself to the fact that he had something tight around his throat and with his right hand he reached up to touch the harsh metal links of the chain surrounding his throat. Dangling down at the front, allowing him only a link or two of play was a large, sturdy and heavy padlock. From the chain round his neck, a heavy metal linked leash snaked away from the cage and was affixed to a stout metal pole outside the cage.

He sighed. Maddox had played him for sure and Starsky could only hope that now he'd been taken, Hutch would have some way to rescue him. If ever there was a time to rely on his partner, it was now.

And then it hit. The reason he'd come up here in the first place. Talicia! Oh my God, Tally. Struggling to his knees, Starsky put his hands on the bars and shook them.

'MADDOX' he yelled. 'Maddox, what the hell…..'

He was stopped in his yelling by a voice behind him. 'Dave, shudup, you'll just get him mad, an' you don't want to do that.'

The brunet turned round to see an identical cage opposite his. In it, Talicia knelt, her back ramrod straight and proud. Bruises, fresh by the look of it marred her pretty face and cuts beginning to heal spread from her lips, but her eyes sparkled.

'Tally! Thank God' Starsky said, shuffling around so that he could see her fully. 'Are you ok honey?'

She smiled. 'Well I am now, but if this is your idea of a rescue attempt, it sucks. Big time!'


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

'I got a little held up honey' Starsky's voice was husky with pain and fever, but his eyes were bright and gazed lovingly at the girl in the cage opposite. Talicia's clothes were torn and dusty. Her skirt was split at the side and her blouse had one sleeve hanging by a thread, but she held herself proudly, her dusty chestnut hair cascading over one shoulder to hang almost to her waist.

'What did they do to you?' Tally asked.

'Maddox phoned the pack and told 'em he had you. He wanted to talk to me an' he said that if I came up here alone, he'd let you go. Like a fool, I believed him. When I saw him, an' saw you weren't with him I was gonna challenge him. He got a bit excited and um….' Starsky looked down his body at the dried blood on his shirt and jeans '…..he put a couple of holes in me.'

'You did that for me?' the woman asked quietly.

The brunet gave a lop sided grin. 'Soapy huh?'

'And sloppy! What the hell did you think you were going to achieve coming up here alone?'

'Hutch has my back. He brought me up here an' I guess he heard the shots, so he'll have gone back down to the city to tell the rest of 'em.'

Talicia looked around the small dusty settlement with its backdrop of rocky ridge, the midday sun beating down on both of their cages. 'I can't see a way out of here, and now he has the two of us…' she let the sentence tail off.

'What?' Starsky asked, fighting to keep his teeth from chattering and his body from shuddering. It may have been 90 in the shade, had they had any, but the healing fever held him in its grip and his felt both cold and hot at the same time. 'What about him having the two of us?'

Talicia sighed. 'I'm Queen. You're the next Luprex. Now he has the two of us he….' She was cut off from further explanation by a shadow falling over their cages.

'How's the holes, cop? Healin' any?' Maddox stood outside the cage and looked in on the brunet who squinted back, shielding his eyes against the sun.

'Fine. Wanna take another pot shot? What was it out there, target practice? You guys couldn't hit a barn door if you were sat on the handle.'

The hunter grinned. 'On the contrary. We got you exactly where we wanted to. We never wanted to kill ya, we just want to experiment some.'

Starsky hissed as he tried to get himself more upright. 'Experiment? I though I was supposed to be a wolf, not a lab rat.'

'Oh you're a wolf alright, an' a powerful one too. That's why we needed you, and Queeny over there. With the two of you, you're gonna further my research before we finally kill ya next full moon.'

'Why wait?' Starsky said, the pain making his famous temper flare more readily.

Maddox snorted. 'Ya really are new to this aren't ya? Maybe after the first set of experiments, your bitch here can explain it.' The hunter unlocked the length of chain from the post outside Starsky's cage, drew his gun and pointed it at the brunet as he unlocked the padlock on the thick bars. He pulled on the chain surrounding Starsky's neck and the chain links clinked together. The harder Maddox pulled, the harder Starsky resisted, the tug of war lasting a minute or so before the hunter changed tack.

Whistling for reinforcements Maddox grinned as one of his henchmen appeared with a large baton like object. Starsky watched as the man walked purposefully towards the cages, expecting to have to fight man number two too. But instead of that, at a swift nod of the head from Maddox, the man whirled, knelt and jammed the electric cattle prod against Talicia's side. The woman was unprepared for the assault and let out an involuntary scream before clamping her lips closed and scuttering away to the far side of the cage. The man followed her, jabbing the prod though the bars of the cage, sometimes finding his target and at other times missing. He jammed the electric baton against Talicia's side for a fourth time and this time she screamed in agony as the prod met bare, unprotected skin and there was a sizzle of electricity and a smell of burning flesh.

'Stop!' Starsky yelled, his hands on the bars of his cage. 'Enough. That's enough. I'll come quietly' he said as he shuffled to the door of the cage, stopped and walked out, the chain round his neck clutched tightly in Maddox's hand. The brunet looked at the gasping woman.

'Tal, are you ok Hon?' he asked softly.

Her eyes opened and though she still struggled for breath she managed to grin back at him. 'You shouldn't have stopped them, I was beginning to like it' she said, staring levelly at the hunter.

Starsky saw through the bluff immediately, but grinned back at her, seeing something of his own fire, determination and bloody mindedness in the woman. 'Be right back honey. Don't go away' he said cheekily.

'Don't stay out all night with your friends' she responded, holding on to the bars of her own cage.

Without looking back, the brunet followed as Maddox pulled on the chain and led him limping towards a small bank of wooden buildings behind his Sheriff's office. As they walked Maddox kept his gun trained on Starsky and the man with the cattle prod walked at his side. Ignoring his two captors, the brunet looked around him, trying to find any way out of this hell hole, calculating the odds of escape and coming up miserably blank.

They stopped in front of a large wooden building and Maddox opened the door onto a small ante room. He pushed the curly haired captive through the waiting area and into a room set up as a medical room at the back. There was an operating type table, a bench with cupboards above, displaying all types of equipment from syringes to enema bulbs and right in the very middle of the floor something that looked suspiciously like a dentist's chair. The sight of the hospital type room made the brunet's heart start to hammer in his chest and his first instinct was to turn and fight. But turning and fighting meant expending more energy and probably meant more pain, and right now he was in no shape to argue too much. Instead he stood just inside the doorway and waited. He might not fight, but he was damned if he was going to make this easy for them.

Maddox and his goon friend, who turned out to be called Boomer were immediately joined by a third man wearing a doctor's white coat and carrying a clipboard. Without looking at his "patient" he pushed past, head in his paperwork and laid his clipboard down on the countertop. Only then did he look over the top of his glasses at Maddox.

'Well?' the doctor asked.

'Well this is the one I as tellin' you about. You wanted a subject, we got you the best.'

As the doctor came closer, Starsky saw he had a badge on his coat that proclaimed that he worked in the morgue at Bay City Presbyterian Hospital and that his name was Leach. Apt! Very apt. He was tall, skeletally thin and had a bald head, his skin tanned to an almost leathery consistency by constant exposure to the sunshine in Rock Ridge.

'I don't have all day. It looks damaged. Get it ready so that I can examine it' Leach muttered.

'Hey "it" has got a name Mister!' Starsky snapped back angrily. Leach looked up and over at Maddox. 'And shut it up, we don't need to hear it's protests. A wolf is a wolf is a wolf.'

Maddox snickered, pulling Starsk by the chain round his neck over to the table arranged against the far wall. 'Strip' the hunter commanded.

'Fuck off' Starsky responded.

Immediately, Boomer jabbed the cattle prod against Starsky's ribs and sent the current of electricity dancing through his body. The brunet screamed, his knees buckling, but he managed to catch himself and grabbed a hold of the table in front of him to steady himself. Maddox saw his chance, grabbed Starsky's wrists and while the curly haired man was recovering, he snapped on heavy metal manacles, forcing his arms behind his back. Spinning the cop around, he jammed a knotted rope between Starsky's jaws and tied it at the back, effectively gagging the smaller man.

Starsky panted, his nostrils flaring as he forced air into his lungs and his indigo eyes blazed sapphire fire. The bullet wounds throbbed, his fever seemed to have reached its zenith and his body still reverberated from the volts sent through it by the cattle prod. And he still had no answers. What was it with these guys? Were they going to shoot him just to heal him? Somehow, he didn't think healing was the first thing on the doctor's mind, but if not that, why was the room dressed almost like an ER? And what had Maddox meant by a specimen?

With his hands shackled behind his back and with the gag between his teeth, Starsky was well and truly their prisoner. He felt Boomer's hands on his body and had no strength left to fight as the man proceeded to unbutton his shirt and push it off his shoulders and then unbuckle his jeans belt, unbutton his waistband and push his pants and boxers over his hips, so that they puddle on the ground round his feet. The brunet stood, panting with indignation through the gag.

As Boomer started to push him over the table, Starsky kicked out at his antagonist. Legged up by his own jeans, he got nothing more than another zap with the cattle prod for his pains. He screamed into the gag and collapsed face down onto the table, his upper body resting on it as Maddox put his leg between Starsky's knees and widened his stance to the limit of his jeans. Boomer took a hold of the end of the chain locked round Starsky's neck and threaded the end through an eyelet on the wall pulling it tight and locking it into place so that the prisoner had no way to straighten and only then did Dr Leach approach again.

As Starsky squeezed his eyes closed, the doctor started his preliminary investigation, prodding at the cops muscles and pinching at his skin. Leach paused to write some notes on his sheet. He dealt with the brunet as he would a dog or cat or some other piece of meat, never speaking to the bound man and taking any liberties he wished. Inside Starsky seethed in indignation, vowing that he'd get even, if not then, then soon.

Next Leach took notice of the bullet wounds. Starsky had been shot only hours earlier and yet his body had forced out the lead slugs and had stopped bleeding some time ago. Now, there was a fresh crusting of blood across the opening of both wounds, but Leach wasn't satisfied with that and took a scalpel, cutting off the top skin to push probes inside the two wounds. Starsky sweated through the procedure. He bit down on the rope knot in his mouth to stop from crying out and ground his face into the black leather of the operating table as Leach went about his business. With Maddox holding one leg and Boomer the other, and with the chain anchoring his neck to the wall, the cop had nowhere left to go and was forced to endure the procedure as best he could.

Obviously happy with the healing of the bullet wounds, Leach made some more notes and then took a long rectal thermometer and pushed it into the smaller man's anus, holding it in position as he hummed tunelessly to himself. He left it in place for what seemed like an eternity before extracting it as Starsky moaned softly into the gag. Again, more notes were made.

'Just the fluids to go now' Leach said conversationally. He took a syringe form the cupboard on the wall, fitted a needle and without speaking to Starsky he pushed the metal into a turgid vein on the brunet's right arm, letting the rich dark blood flow into the barrel. 'Urine will have to wait, but I will need a sample of his semen.'

Starsky bucked back as far as he could do in his bonds at the words. No! That was way too much. No way could he even get it up if he wanted to and as for the thought of this flake touching him there….. He shouted into his gag, but nothing other than a muffled groan emerged and it was of course ignored. He heard Leach moving around and then the snap of something that sounded frighteningly like rubber gloves and Maddox and Boomer took a tighter hold on his legs, one of them twining steel hard fingers into his hair as they pushed his face down into the leather.

And then he felt it, the first touch of rubber against his anus as a gloved finger with insufficient lube pushed itself inside. It withdrew briefly, then pushed in further making the brunet groan and try to move away, The cattle prod appeared by his face and Maddox leaned down close to his ear. Want that where the doctor's finger is? You'll get it if ya don't shudup. Lay back, relax, an' maybe you'll even enjoy the ride.'

The finger was delving deeper now and at the same time, something cold and smooth was being fitted over the end of his cock. The finger seemed to curl around inside him. It wasn't painful per se, but the indignity was overwhelming as suddenly the doctor's searching finger touched Starsky's prostate head on. An electric current jolted through his body and his fingers clawed in surprise behind his back. Again and again the doctor kept up a slow easy rhythm of stroking against his most sensitive place as the pressure built inside the cop's body. Starsky felt as though the top of his head would blow off in a mixture of ecstasy and bone crushing embarrassment as he felt his balls tighten and pull up inside his body. The doctor continued his stroking, quicker now as he put his other hand between the cop's splayed legs. Finally Starsky could stand the exquisite pressure no longer and with a flood of misery, he finally shot his load into the large test tube Leach was holding over his member with a shriek of agony and ecstasy. Immediately, the doctor's finger pulled sharply out of the brunet's core and Leach grunted in satisfaction.

'Fine. Get it out of here. I have what I need.'

Maddox looked down at the sweating man. Starsky's eyes were closed and his face glinted with a fine sheen of perspiration. His body still shook from the violence of the climax and the breath whistled around the gag still held between the brunet's now slack jaw. Savagely, the hunter and Boomer pulled Starsky's pants up buttoning them quickly. Boomer held Starsky down as Maddox unfastened the chain but there was no fight left in the brunet. The indignity and the sheer force of the orgasm, coupled with the pains from his wounds and his healing fever had taken a final toll on the curly haired cop and he started to slither off the bed as Boomer caught him. the big man grabbed Starsky around the waist and started to drag the semi conscious cop back to his cage.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

They removed the gag from Starsky's mouth and dumped the brunet's limp body back inside the cage, locking the door firmly and once again securing the chain round his neck to the post sunk into the dusty earth outside the bars. Starsky was almost insensate but a groan was wrung from his body as it hit the compacted ground and his head connected with the bars. Maddox grinned evilly, rattled the ceiling bars of the cage and walked away as Talicia shuffled forward in her cage.

'Dave?' she called softly. 'Oh my God, Dave, what did they do to you? Dave…..DAVE!' she hissed.

Slowly the voice penetrated the curly haired man's pain and his eyes opened a crack, looking around him cautiously. It was difficult and painful to move, but his head lifted a little from the dust and his eyes locked on Talicia's.

'Heyyyy' he whispered softly.

'Hey yourself. Dave, are you ok?' she asked, realising just what a stupid question that was.

Starsky snorted softly and then doubled over in pain. He coughed carefully, spat bloody spittle onto the ground and fought to get his breathing under control. 'I've had…..better days. Nuthin…..a few weeks in……Caribbean wouldn't handle.'

'Well I know a nice little bar down on the beach in St James on Barbados. It does the most wonderful Mojitos. We should go there when you get us out of here' Tally said encouragingly.

Again Starsky's eyes cracked open. 'Hon I couldn't get us outa….wet paper bag right now. Need t'sleep…..hurts.' He let his head fall to the ground again, the effort of holding it up too much. The brunet closed his eyes wearily feeling the fever begin to build in his body again. As he rested his pounding head, he felt something soothing against his forehead and realised Talicia had managed to crawl to the very perimeter of her cage and had reached her arm through both sets of bars and could just reach his brow. She soothed it, stroking gently and Starsky relaxed marginally against the soft touch, glad of some reassurance after the harrowing ordeal in the doctor's room. There was no way he would tell the woman about his treatment, but in a way he felt almost as safe with Talicia as he did with Hutch. Despite the fact they were both held captive, there was something about the woman, some characteristics she had that Starsky recognised in himself and in his blond partner. She had the same resoluteness, the same composure under stress and, he had to admit the same bloody mindedness.

Quietly, with Talicia's touch, he drifted off into a fevered sleep, his body starting the healing processes all over again after Dr Leach's "ministrations". Tally watched over him, running her fingers through curls that were soon damp with sweat as Starsky twitched and moaned on the floor of his cage.

The woman knew what was happening. She'd seen it many times before and had experienced the healing fever herself once or twice. The accelerated healing had its advantages but it was not the most wonderful experience in the world.

There was no getting away from the fact that Starsky was here because of her and her kind. He'd never chosen to be a werewolf (not that any of them really had) and he'd certainly never chosen to be Luprex but despite all that, he'd come alone into the camp to try to save her. Talicia smoothed her hands through the chocolate coloured curls now grimy with dust and wondered. As Queen, she'd inherited some of the powers from Lya, but had yet to use them. Tally didn't even know whether she could use them as Lya had died before she'd been able to give her second in command any instruction, but the young woman felt she owed a debt to the curly haired cop in the next cage and so she closed her eyes and concentrated on entering Starsky's dreams and sending him some of her healing energy to join with his.

Talicia concentrated on Starsky, her fingers working gently at his curls. She felt his consciousness stir as she touched on the fringes of the brunet's dreams and slowly her breathing quickened to come into time with Starsky's own ragged breaths. The mists of her mind parted and she took a first curious and slightly scared look into the brunet's dreams.

Starsky was on the edge of a volcano, looking down the precipitous drop into the hot, red caldera. The hot wind from the erupting magma buffeted his curls and made him stagger back, almost losing his balance and he stopped suddenly feeling a hand on his shoulder. Turning he looked in surprise into the beautiful brown eyes of the young woman.

'Tally? What are you doing here?' he gasped.

'I wanted to help you. You looked so hurt, I needed to do something.'

'I don't understand.'

'I'm here to help. I can share the healing with you…..make it hurt less.'

'But I'm….'

'Asleep, yes' Talicia smiled. 'But I'm here in your dreams to help you.'

'You can do that?' Starsky asked.

'I'm here aren't I?'

'I guess, but it's not the nicest place to be.'

Tally looked down into the fire in the huge crater. 'You're right. That's the fire of your fever.'

'It is? Wow!' the brunet could think of nothing more to say. 'Don't like it much.'

'Then ease the fever. Cool it. Move away' the young woman urged.

'I don't know how. It hurts too much. They hurt me.' Starsky's eyes turned sadly to Talicia and her heart melted.

'I know they did my love. But you can do this. You can heal yourself and we can be together.'

'I'd like that, but I don't know what to do. Where would you rather be, an' how do we get there?'

Tally smiled. 'This is your dream Dave, only you can decide that. Cool the fever and ease the pain. Think of somewhere you'd love to be and someone you'd love to be with. Think of what you'd like to do and make your mind take you there. While your mind is busy, your body will heal.'

'It's as simple as that?' Starsky asked.

'Uh huh.'

'Anywhere…..with anyone, an' I can do what I like?'

She smiled. 'That's pretty much it. Your dream, your healing fever, you decide.'

'And all I have t do is think about it for it to happen?'

'Yes, just imagine who you would most like to be with and where, and what you want to do. Close your eyes and imagine.'

The brunet took a deep breath, his indigo blue eyes closing slowly. 'Relax an' think' he mumbled. 'Think of who I wanna be with an' what I wanna do.'

A moment later, Hutch popped into sight in the distance and started to walk towards the two of them. Starsky turned to Talicia. 'This is just a dream, right? I mean it's not real except in my head, an' I can do what I want?'

She nodded.

With a sly grin, Starsky looked back at Hutch's approaching figure. 'Don't take this the wrong way Blondie, but um….not right now huh?' the flaxen haired figure disappeared in a puff of smoke and the heated tortured landscape started to morph away. The caldera with its raging pool of molten rock moved, flattened, the earth moving beneath Starsky and Talicia's feet until it was flat and a cerulean blue ocean had appeared in front of them. Talicia looked around her at the brunet's imaginary place. A stand of bright, white sand stretched in a narrow ribbon around a crescent shaped bay fringed with swaying green palm trees. Small waves lapped at the shore with quiet hisses and to her right, a beautiful waterfall cascaded down into a pool made for swimming. She sighed appreciatively.

'Why you big romantic, Dave Starsky. And not a Hutch in sight!'

The brunet took her hand in his. 'Sometimes he just gets in the way' he mumbled, pulling Talicia along with him gently as they headed for the fern fringed pool. The water was clear and Talicia dipped her toe into it, finding it neither too warm nor too cold. Her shining eyes found Starsky's indigo blues and she reached up to run her fingers lightly down his cheek.

'Who would have thought that you could be so romantic?' she said softly.

'Hey, I aint all guns an' cuffs ya know.'

'Guns I hate, but the um…..cuffs sound kinda…..' Talicia never finished as the brunet swept her up into his arms and covered her mouth with his. Gently, he kissed her, his hands entwined in the curtain of her hair. Talicia opened her mouth, her tongue gently and shyly exploring new territory. Starsky captured it, sucking gently on it before his own tongue took over the exploration. Tally moaned into his mouth and pushed her body against his. Breathlessly, Starsky pulled away, looking down at her with shining eyes.

'Let's swim' he said gently.

'Because you don't want to kiss me?'

'Because to swim, we should really be naked' he replied, his eyebrows tenting in question.

Talicia smiled shyly. 'Totally naked?'

'Uh huh.'

'This is your dream, you could have imagined me that way.'

The brunet grinned. 'I didn't want to be presumptuous. An' apart from that, half the fun of bein' naked is the getting there.'

Tally put her arms above her head, inviting the curly haired cop to remove her blouse. Starsky didn't need asking twice and grasped the material, pulling it over her head gently. She wore no bra and her lightly tanned skin glowed in the sunshine. Starsky bowed his head and kissed a line down from her jaw to the top of each breast. With his left hand, he gently ran his thumb over her nipple, feeling it rise up hard with desire beneath his touch. Tally sighed against him and he bent to suck the pink nub into his mouth, lightly flicking his tongue over the proud flesh.

Talicia's hands were working at his belt now and within seconds, the woman had unbuckled it and was pushing the soft denim fabric down and over Starsky's slim hips even as the brunet unzipped Tally's skirt. Within moments both lovers stood naked, each drinking in the sight of each other.

Slowly, Tally did a little pirouette allowing Starsky to see her body in its entirety. He growled, deep in his throat and the sound ignited the passion in the woman's heart like no other. He scooped her up in his arms and laid her down gently on the powder soft white sand, laying himself down beside her as she nestled her head into the crook of Starsky's right arm.

'I thought it was me comforting you through your healing' she mumbled lazily.

'Believe me honey, you are' he sighed, bending to kiss her neck gently. The warmth of her jugular with its pulsing blood running just beneath the surface attracted him and for a moment, he wanted nothing more than to bite down on the pale flesh and feast. With difficulty, the brunet tore his eyes away and instead, his hand went to work on Talicia's body even as he felt her small hand encircle his rigid cock. He looked down.

'That's what I like about small hands' he muttered. 'They make things look even bigger.'

She giggled. 'Isn't it big enough already?'

'It's getting' there honey, especially when ya do that' the brunet moaned as Talicia set up a gentle stroking along his length. Collapsing back on the sand, Starsky allowed the woman to own his body. Her hands ran down the length of his chest, from beneath his throat to the top of the wiry hairs at his core. Each touch sent electric bolts lancing through him, each gentle stroke eliciting a moan of pleasure.

Talicia rose up and straddled the relaxed brunet, the centre of her own body poised over the centre of his. She could feel the demand of his cock against her, but smiled wolfishly. 'You're so eager' she whispered. 'Slow down. You have a lot of healing to do. Make this last.'

Starsky smiled up at her lazily, sheer contentment in his eyes. 'I'm all yours honey. I can hold out as long as you like.'

She grinned. 'You can huh?'

He smiled back. 'Uh huh. This is my dream aint it?'

Talicia nodded. 'But I bet even in your dream, I can make things happen' she said softly, bending her head to kiss down his chest and across the washboard abs. She shuffled lower and Starsky felt warm wetness engulf his cock as he closed his eyes and moaned softly.

'Keep that up an' we can put it to the test soon enough' he whispered, abandoning himself to the sensations assaulting his body.

Talicia grasped him in one hand and licked down his shaft, pausing at his tip to blow gently and coldly against the wetness. She smiled to herself as the body beneath her shivered in anticipation and continued her exploration of her lover's body. She was by no means an expert, but she was inventive and seemed totally attuned to Starsky's every desire. With every touch of her hand and every brush of her lips against his body, she brought the brunet closer and closer to his peak until Starsky was writhing in pleasure, his hands clawing at the white sand as he fought to keep himself in check. Finally he could stand it no longer and he groaned.

'Honey, please…..ya gotta do sumthin' he mumbled desperately.

Talicia smiled 'You said you could go on as long as I wanted' she said teasingly, her hand keeping up its slow manipulation of the brunet's core.

'Ok, I was wrong, I was wrong' Starsky panted. 'Please honey. C'mere I need….need… ohhh yeah' he sighed as the woman rose up and carefully positioned herself over the cop's cock.

Talicia lowered herself slowly and gently. Starsky was big……bigger than anything she'd taken before and she took her time, seating him inside her and pausing to acclimatise herself to the massive intruder. Carefully she leaned forward and kissed her man tenderly on the lips. 'OK?' she asked.

'Yeah….k' he replied, slightly dazed by the feelings assailing his body.

Slowly, Talicia straightened and began to rise up before seating Starsky deeper inside her. Both sighed with anticipation and as Starsky reached for the woman to caress her shoulders and breasts, Tally set up her own rhythm, slowly at first and then gathering speed until both lovers were frantic with their need for release. When it eventually arrived, they both came together in a perfectly orchestrated climax and they collapsed into each other's arms, gasping and totally satiated.

Inside the cages in the dusty street, Starsky's fevered twitching finally started to abate and Talicia slowly opened her eyes. How long they had been connected she had no idea, but the dreams had been everything she could have hoped for and more. Carefully, she ran her hand over the brunet's brow, feeling it damp with sweat by markedly cooler. The crisis had passed and Starsky seemed to be sleeping easier now. With a groan that marked the stiffness of her muscles, Talicia reluctantly withdrew her hand and relaxed against the bars of her own cage. Despite her exertions and her tiredness, she settled down to wait, eyes open, alert for trouble while her lover continued to heal in the cage next to her.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Talicia sat through the heat of the afternoon without rest. She watched the man in the next cage sleeping, thankful that she'd been able to help and amazed that the healing power that she'd been able to share had worked so well. But truth to tell, she was equally amazed at just how strong a werewolf Starsky was. Any normal man – any normal werewolf – would have had to spend at least 24 hours recovering from the drugs, the 2 shots and the burns of the cattle prod. Her own burns still itched viciously and the healing skin pulled miserably when she shifted position, but still, Tally sat, and waited.

The brunet's strength frightened her a little. When Lya had chosen her to be second in command, it had been because of Talicia's spirit, her fairness and her ability to deal with all the different characters in the pack, be they disruptive, scared, smart or dumb. The young woman had a knack for bringing out the best in them and Lya had sensed a strength of character that she'd started to nurture. Now Tally felt that same strength of character and also strength of body in the man sleeping close to her. Starsky was an enigma to her. The brunet was at once Wildman, lover, carer, protector, defender and child. He was an enigma. She sensed his fear at what he'd become and yet when the need arose, he seemed to embrace the changes and the abilities that the lycanthropy brought with it. In all, she pledged that she would stand by him, no matter what and would be the best Queen he could hope to have, for she had no doubt now that, should they both make it through the ordeal, David Starsky would be the next Luprex of the Bay Pack.

The sun had gone down and the cool air of evening had started to blow down the dusty street, kicking up dust devils in its wake and blowing leaves along the dirt surface. The cool of the evening finally revived Starsky from his sleep and he started to stir.

At first, the brunet had a hard job remembering where he was. He'd had the wonderful dream about Talicia and when the woman had left him on the beach, he'd remained behind, locked in a comfortable warm dream where he lay back on the soft, silvery sand staring up at the palm trees, waving their fronds gently above him. With the waves lapping gently onto the shore and with the sun caressing his naked skin he'd slept and rested and now, as he opened his eyes, it came as a nasty revelation to once again see the world from between the bars of a cage.

Talicia watched as indigo eyes cracked open and consciousness flowed back into the tanned and lithe body. The afternoon's unsheltered sun had left Starsky's skin reddened and sore looking, but fortunately he'd not burned and now, he propped himself up on one hand, running the other through his curls as he scrubbed some life back into himself.

'How do you feel?' Tally asked quietly.

Propping himself up, the brunet smoothed his hand over his side, seeking out the gunshot wound that Dr Leach had taken such great delight in reopening. His skin was now smooth, the area of the wound now barely reddened and with only a small dinge to mark where once had been a bloody hole. Starsky didn't need to examine his leg to know that there would be the same result there also.

'Better' he said thickly. His head pounded and he longed for a glass of water to sooth his parched throat. Starsky leaned back against the bars of the cage and let out a deep sigh. 'Weak, but better. How long was I out?'

'All of the afternoon. You've healed well.'

'Yeah. I um….I had the best dreams. They were…' the brunet looked at the girl and suddenly blushed. 'They weren't dreams were they?'

'Of course they were dreams! Do you see a Caribbean beach anywhere near here?' Tally snickered.

'But you were there. You saw them and you um….we…..'

'I dreamwalked with you, yes, to help you heal. I gave you some of my energy, but to be honest I don't think you needed much. You're a strong man Dave, you didn't need me.'

'I may not have needed you honey, but it sure was a great distraction. I… oh jeez, what the fuck does he want now?' Starsky cut himself off as he saw Maddox walking out of his Sheriff's office. The big hunter walked to a door a little way down the street, knocked on it, and when the woman answered, he pushed his way into the small house, emerging moments later with a young girl held by her arm. The girl was crying and shaking and the girl's mother was shouting at Maddox to leave her daughter alone and that the girl had done nothing. Maddox grinned and told the woman to shut up as he dragged the young girl towards the two cages.

Night had fallen while Talicia and Starsky had been talking and the moon, although not full, was still bright in the night sky. By the silvery light, Maddox picked his way down the street, hauling the girl with him and as they got closer, Starsky could see she was perhaps 15 years old, her hair long and braided down her back and her eyes wide as soup plates and bright with fear. The two stopped in front of the cages and from a different direction, Dr Leach approached, his clipboard wedged under his arm and the moon shining off of his bald pate.

Starsky and Talicia both sat up straighter in their cages as the two men descended on them.

'How's the holes cop?' Maddox asked coldly.

Starsky winked at Tally. 'Aww, aint that nice honey? He's worried about me' the brunet said quietly.

'And the doctor's taken to making house calls' she replied, watching the white coated man warily.

Leach ignored the two captives. He leaned down, studying Starsky's side and made some notes on his paper. 'It seems to have healed well enough. Quiet remarkable really. I think we're ready for the next test, now, while it's still recovering fully.'

'Test? What test?' the brunet snapped. Memories of Leach's fingers and hands on and in his body were till too raw and new and despite healing his wounds amazingly quickly. Starsky still felt dizzy and weak - most definitely not up to some more of the good doctor's antics. As usual though, the medic ignored his subject and nodded at Maddox.

The hunter took the keys to the curly haired cop's cage from his pocket and while still holding onto the girl with one hand, he inserted the key in the lock with the other and turned it. Starsky watched him carefully, biding his time in case he got the chance to turn this into an escape attempt. What Maddox did next though, took Starsky completely by surprise and sickened the cop to his stomach.

Maddox opened the cage door, stood up and without pause, drew a knife from his waistband and slit a thin incision across the girl's neck, just below her ear. The girl screamed as blood started to flow, gleaming black in the moonlight. The hunter thrust the girl into the cage and clanged the door closed, locking it tight. The girl sprawled on the ground, her eyes on Starsky's while the brunet stiffened, his eyes only on the dark, thick fluid flowing from the girl's neck.

In the next cage, Talicia clutched the bars, knowing now what Maddox's mad test was. It may not be the full moon, but in Starsky's weakened state, the sight of flowing blood could well prove to be overpowering. Indeed as she watched, the brunet seemed to be drawn as if by an invisible string towards the girl. She in turn pushed herself to her knees and backed up until her back was against the bars.

The brunet's back was ramrod straight, his breath ragged and panting in his throat as his eyes locked on the girl's neck. His blood thundered in his ears as he imagined the taste of the salty, warm fluid on his tongue. His parched throat cried out for a drink and he longed to slake his thirst on the blood. Cautiously he took a step forward.

'Dave, don't do this my love' Talicia's voice sounded behind him. 'You don't have to do this. He's playing with you. Stop.'

The girl in the cage screamed as Starsky's eyes glowed a bright luminous blue and he licked his lips, a low growl escaping his throat. He took another step and the girl freaked out, screaming and battering at the bars in her panic. The motion sent Starsky over the top and immediately he was upon her, pinning her body to the floor as he hovered over her, legs straddling her body. His hands pinned her shoulders to the ground as she struggled with all her might against him, her voice shrieking in fear.

'Don't do this Dave. Think about this. You have a choice. You're Luprex. You can choose not to do this' Talicia hissed urgently.

The brunet was trapped in his blood lust. Weak as he was, he knew he needed nourishment. The healing fever always left him feeling hungry and he hadn't eaten in over 24 hours. There, struggling below him was a ready meal. Girl-on-the-cob, his for the taking but even as he bent down to lick delicately at the blood on her neck, he knew this wasn't right.

The girl froze as his tongue licked a line just above her wound but never touching it, but them she screamed again, batting ineffectually at his chest with her fists.

'Don't do that honey. Don't…..struggle. I can't…..stop if ya……struggle. Please……don't' the brunet managed to pant out. By his side, Tally too was talking to the girl.

'Honey, just lie still. Everything will be ok, but you have to lie very still. Can you do that for me? Can you lie still for me? I need you to be very quiet and very still.'

The young girl nodded quickly and closed her eyes. It was apparent she was trying her hardest to do as Tally and Starsky asked, but still the brunet hovered above her.

'Dave, come away now. You don't have to do this. You need to back off. Back off now honey. Come on, my love, you can do this. You're Luprex, you can do anything' Talicia whispered softly.

Her words penetrated Starsky's frenzy and he listened to her as she continued talking softly to him. Very slowly and stiffly, he let go of the body beneath him and backed away from the terrified girl until he had his back to the bars. He grabbed hold of the metal and hung on to it until his knuckles were quite white. With his breath rasping in his throat, Starsky closed his eyes swallowing convulsively as the feeding frenzy bled away from him. At a nod from Talicia, the young girl in the cage with him, shuffled to her knees and sat in the furthest corner of the cage away from the curly haired cop.

'Get her away' Starsky whispered through clenched teeth. 'Maddox, you're filthy little experiment didn't work an' she's gonna bleed to death unless ya help her.' The girl's mother was crying softly in the background and now he tugged at Maddox's sleeve. 'Let her out Clarke, please, get her out of there, I'm begging you' she cried.

Callously the hunter ignored her and looked at Leach. 'Well, what d'ya think?'

'Remarkable. Most wolves wouldn't be able to resist that after all we've put it through. I think we're ready to progress to the third experiment tomorrow. In the meantime, give it a drink of water, let the girl out and um…..well, see you tomorrow' the doctor said as though watching a pair of mice in a laboratory.

Maddox opened the cage door again and the girl scuttered weakly out and into her mother's waiting arms while Starsky sagged back against the bars.

'I'm gonna fuckin' kill the lot of ya. You're mad, crazy' the brunet growled. 'What's this third experiment? Ya gonna dissect me or sumthin? Tell me.'

Maddox looked at the curly haired man. 'Dissect you? Maybe in time, but not just yet. You aint ready yet, the doctor needs your services some more first.'

'He aint gonna get 'em' Starsky yelled throwing himself at the bars. 'We're not some animal to fuck about with. Hutch'll….'

The hunter turned, his eyes blazing. 'Hutch won't do nothin' if he knows what's good for him and fer you. Now shudup and sleep. You'll need all that strength for tomorrow.'


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter16

**Chapter**** 16**

'I can't sit here and wait any longer. We've gotta do something.' Hutch stood up from his seat and started pacing the large, well appointed living room. In the 36 hours since Starsky had disappeared into the clutches of Maddox and his goons, Perry and the blond had spent almost ever waking hour over at Steiger's house, wondering, waiting and trying to plan, but without a leader, the pack were unfocused and in disarray. None of them wanted to make any kind of move that might jeopardise the lives of either Talicia or Starsky and yet all of them acknowledged that come the tie of the next full moon, when they would be holed up their safe little hidey holes, the Luprex and his Queen would most certainly die.

Perry came to her feet too, her mind made up. She surveyed the other pack members in the room. 'Hutch is right. I know that neither of us are pack, but at the same time, Dave and Tally mean s much to us as they do to you. We ca't just sit here and worry about them, we have to do something. We'd hoped that maybe Maddox might have been back in touch, but he hasn't, so we need to take the law into our own hands.'

'There's no law that governs this, that's the problem' Steiger said bitterly. The individual rights the Declaration of Independence speaks of didn't extend to include Werewolves, I don't think. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". I think when Jefferson was talking about all men, that's exactly what he meant – men, not…..us. We have no rights and there isn't a law in this country that covers werewolves. I really don't know what you can do.'

'We have our own laws' Perry said. 'We have a code of conduct and the first law we have is that we protect our own. Right now, I don't think we're doing a very good job of protecting Dave and Tally, do you?' the tiny woman's angry eyes took in each pack member in turn and one by one they reluctantly shook their heads. 'So we should start thinking about them and stop feeling sorry for ourselves. I can bring in some friends and Hutch is a cop, so we use his skills to find out as much as we can about Maddox's operation.'

'How do we do that?' John, the youngest member of the pack asked. At only just 17, he was still taller than most and spent his time at the gym, so he was muscled, tanned and fit. He, more than the others had found te waiting game to be a difficult one to play.

Hutch's mind clicked over into cop mode. 'We case the joint. We need to get up there, under cover and see what's going on. We need to see what defences they have, how many live at the settlement, what fire power they pack. Once we have the intel., then we can start to plan the offensive.'

'So you're saying we need to go back up thee, even though Maddox said we shouldn't' Betty said. 'Isn't that asking for trouble?'

'Can you think of a better idea? I mean, unless your wolfish powers extend to making yourselves invisible…..' Hutch looked around the room.

'Of course they don't'' Perry said, but I may be able to do something about that.

'Huh?'

'There are one or two potions, hexes mostly that can render someone invisible. I mean they don't just wink out of existence. The hex works on the other person, so that their mind chooses not to see. It's as good as invisibility, if I can get a couple of friends to help me prepare.'

Hutch stared at her open mouthed. He scrubbed his hand through his flaxen bangs and snorted. 'Ya know, five months ago, invisibility, werewolves, witches – they were all horror film stuff. Edgar Alan Poe and all that, an' yet here am I, stood in a room full of werewolves listening to a witch talkin' about hexes and potions, an' I don't even bat an eyelid. I must be goin' crazy!'

Perry grinned. 'Welcome to the real world love' she said, putting her arm round the blond's waist.

Hutch looked around the room. 'Is this a plan?' he asked.

Steiger shrugged his shoulders. 'I can't speak for the others, but it seems it's the only idea we've got so far.'

'I say we should give it a try' Betty said, nodding at the rest of the group.

'Well yeah, but who's gonna go up there?' the judge asked.

'Me' Hutch said immediately. 'I know what I'm lookin' for an' I need to see Starsk. I need to know he's holdin' up ok.'

'Could you use some company?' John asked.

The blond smiled. 'Sure. Four eyes are better'n two, especially when one pair of 'em can see as far as yours.'

The young man smiled back. 'When do we go?'

Hutch snorted. 'We've sat around for almost two days. No time like the present huh?'

'And when do we expect you back?' Perry asked.

The cop pursed his lips. 'We need to get up there, snoop around without being seen, so we'll need to go up the other side of the ridge and over the top to look down at the camp. Maybe seven or eight hours. I just need to check out how they're doin'. How they're holdin' up. I don't have a real good feelin'.'

'Well no time like the present' John said, getting up and stretching. 'Do we need anythin' to take with us?'

'Your eyes and a whole bunch of good luck' Hutch said with a grin as they both made for the door.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Starsky had been shaken to the core by Maddox's mad experiment. Not only was he shaken at his own response to the girl and the blood, but he was angry at the hunter for cold heartedly knifing her and exposing a young member of his community to the danger of a werewolf.

The brunet was silent for a long time after the crowd had left his cage and even Talicia's urgent voice couldn't penetrate his confusion and pain. That one episode more than any other told him that he was a monster. Starsky grimly thought about his response to the sight and smell of the blood. He'd wanted it – no, more than that, he'd yearned for it like an alcoholic yearns for whiskey or a junkie yearns for his next fix. He felt drawn to the blood as though he were on an invisible thread and the more he tried to resist, the more he felt the pull of the red fluid. The young girl was almost irrelevant to him in his blood lust, she was purely the receptacle that held the precious ruby droplets. She was as unimportant to him as the wrapper from round one of his burritos – something to be thrown away in the garbage once he'd eaten his fill.

He moaned softly to himself, back against the bars and knees drawn up as he rocked himself backwards and forwards, trying to eradicate the memory once and for all. At his side, in the next cage, Talicia watched, tears in her eyes as the strong, stoical man was reduced to the level of an animal.

'Dave, speak to me' she said softly. 'Tell me what you're thinking.'

Slowly, Starsky raised his head. 'I'm thinking what a fuckin' monster I've become. Maybe I should just let Maddox do what he wants with me huh? One less wolf in the world.'

'Don't say that. Don't ever say that! You're more a man than he could ever be.'

'Would a man want to drink a young girl's blood?' the brunet asked bitterly. 'Would he? Would a man want to rip that guy's head off?'

'Would a man come up here on his own to rescue someone he'd only just met?' she countered. 'Dave, the fact that you were turned is a minor point. You are who you are. Nothing will ever change the goodness in your heart my love, that's why Lya chose you. You are David Starsky, cop. Nothing can change that, nothing. And nothing can change the fact that I love you.'

The words took a moment to sink in and then Starsky turned to look wonderingly at the woman. 'Say again.'

She smiled and reached hr hands through the bars of her cage. 'You hear me. I love you Dave Starsky, whether you're a wolf, a man….whatever. I think I loved you from the first time I saw you.'

The brunet stuttered. 'I um….I don't know what to say……other than….. Well I think the feeling is mutual.'

'It is?' Talicia asked. 'You really mean that?'

The curly haired man smiled gently. 'What's not to love? You're beautiful, smart, funny. But most of all, you love me for what I am. I just wish there was somewhere more romantic than two cages in the middle of some one horse town where I could tell you.'

Tally laughed, the sound lighting up the night air. 'Well there's always the bar in St James.'

'When we get outa here…..an' we will get outa here, I'm gonna hold ya to that honey.'

The exertions of the past 36 hours had left their mark on Starsky. He was sore, tired and still felt dirty in body and soul both from the initial meeting with Dr Leach and then with the encounter with the girl. Despite Tally's admonishments that he was still a man, and her revelations that she loved him, the weariness was building up in his soul, sapping at his energy. Wearily, Starsky lay down on the hard, compacted earth in his cage, facing the woman. With his head cushioned on the crook of his arm, his eyes closed and Starsky allowed the cool night air to gently blow away the last of the heat in his blood.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The climb up the mountain was tough going. It was dark, with only the light of the moon to illuminate the way for John and Hutch and whilst John's sensitive eyesight aided the younger man, Hutch struggled to maintain his balance and find the hand and footholds he needed. This side of the mountain was steeper than the side Rock Ridge was built on. With no road going up it, the two men had parked Hutch's car at the foot of the steep incline and had set off on foot through the pine clad lower slopes and up into the straggly terrain above. Now there was hardly any vegetation and the bare rocks were rough on the cop's hands.

Despite the fact that Hutch was supremely fit and enjoyed the outdoor life, this climb was no pleasure trip. This time, he and John were on a mission to gather information about Maddox's operation that might help Perry and the pack to rescue their two friends.

They'd set off up the steeper part of the slope in the early evening and had made good time, but as the gloom gathered around them and the moon and stars made their appearance, the pace slowed, especially once the slopes became precipitous. For the hundredth time, the blond stopped, blowing on his hands to cool the sweat forming on his palms. Looking up, he could see the ridge of the rocks, outlined as a darker mass against the velvet of the night sky. With a last concerted effort, he and John clambered up the rocks and lay flat long the top of the knife edged ridge as they looked down into the next valley.

Rock Ridge was quiet. There were no street lights and only one or two of the houses showed lights in the windows. For a moment, Hutch lay gasping on the still warm rocks, looking down onto the camp. As his eyes became acclimatised through, he could begin to pick out more features and snaking round, he took off his back pack and removed his field glasses. Adjusting the sights, he put them to his eyes and scanned the camp, hissing in anger as he found the cages slap bang in the middle of the street.

'What? What's the matter?' John whispered.

'Bastards' Hutch hissed angrily. He passed the binoculars to the younger man who trained them on the same spot.

'Fuck! What now?'

Hutch retrieved the glasses and put them to his eyes again. He saw Talicia first. In the dark, he couldn't see too clearly, but the woman seemed to be ok, no injures evident although her clothes were ripped. In the next cage, however, his partner was slumped on the ground either asleep or unconscious. Starsky's shirt was torn and his head cushioned on his arm, but his back was towards Hutch and the blond couldn't get a proper look. It was difficult to asses the brunet's condition, but Hutch knew from bitter experience that Starsky's mouth would not remain silent, and Maddox was the sort who would act with his fists before his tongue.

Resting his head wearily on the rock surface, Hutch heaved a deep sigh. Great! How the hell was he gonna get the two of them out of that one?

Reluctantly, the flaxen haired cop did a final sweep of the camp and then stowed away his binoculars. 'C'mon, we've seen enough' he mumbled as John started to follow him back down the mountain.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

As the last of the stars were fading and the moon had started its downward arc towards the horizon, Starsky was once more roused from his sleep by footsteps approaching the cages. With a low groan he opened his eyes just in time to see Maddox and Dr Leach walking towards them. Maddox held the dreaded cattle prod in his hands, swinging it like a baton twirler while Leach carried his clipboard under his arm. For a second the brunet wondered whether the doctor ever went anywhere without it for it seemed to be his constant companion, but his ruminations were short lived as the two came to a halt in front of his cage. Warily, the brunet eyed them.

'It's early to be makin' house calls aint it?' he muttered. 'Gonna slice into another girl's neck?'

The doctor ignored him, but Maddox bent down and stared into the cage. 'Shuddup, back off an' when I open the door, don't do nothin' crazy' he snapped.

'Why make it easy for ya?' the brunet growled.

'Coz fightin' hurts, an' it'll hurt you more'n me. Now back off.'

Reluctantly Starsky shuffled further back in the cage, looking suitably meek, but he flashed a sneaky wink at Talicia who was watching operations carefully. If there was ever going to be a time for Starsky to make a break for freedom, it would be now, and she could see the brunet trying to lull Maddox and the doctor into a false sense of security.

'Fine. Whatever ya say' Starsky said quietly.

Maddox gave Starsky a curious look. Slowly, the hunter bent down and unlocked the cage door, swinging it outwards to allow the captive to crawl out onto the street. He motioned with his head. 'Nice an' slow. No sudden moves.'

'Where are we goin'?' Starsky asked, remaining firmly inside the cage.

'Don't matter. When I say move, I mean move.'

'What about her?'

Maddox cast a quick glance at Talicia whose eyes bored into his. 'She don't have what we want. You do. Now move your ass out here now.'

'Uh uh. Not without her' the brunet argued.

Lightening fast, the doctor bent down and pushed his own cattle prod through the bars catching Starsky right over his kidneys. The brunet grunted in pain and shot forward a foot enabling Maddox to grab a hold of his hair. The big hunter pulled and Starsky gasped as he was forcibly hauled from the cage, feeling as though the top of his scalp was about to part company with his skull. The stones on the ground scuffed his knees and bit sharply into his flesh and once clear of the cage Starsky struggled to get his feet under him to stand, his face creased in pain as Maddox kept a hold of a handful of curls.

Seeing that his prisoner was complying as best he could with his directions, delicately the hunter let go of Starsky's hair and was about to flick on the cattle prod for protection when Starsky seemed to come to life. Gone was the meek and mild captive standing quietly at the side of the cage and in it's place stood an angry and very animated cop/werewolf.

Starsky rounded on the hunter, taking him completely off guard and grabbed the big man round the throat, the brunet's forearm held savagely across Maddox's windpipe. Maddox was taken by surprise, clutching at the suffocating arm, and lost his balance and both men plummeted to the ground. Rattler fast and yet graceful as a panther, Starsky straddled the hunter, pinning him down to the ground as he glared down into Maddox's wild eyes. With the brunet's added strength and supernatural speed, the big man had catastrophically underestimated his captive and now Starsky's eyes bored into him.

'Let the woman go' he snarled into the hunter's face. 'Let her go now.'

'Or what?' Maddox sneered, trying ineffectually to fight the smaller man off.

'Or how'd ya fancy joinin' the ranks of the hunted?' the brunet growled and bent down, lips drawn back from his teeth as he homed in on Maddox's jugular. He lowered himself as the hunter strained to get away and his teeth brushed the surface of Maddox's neck. As Starsky started to close his jaw around the pulsing flesh however, the doctor came up behind them. Talicia yelled out a warning, but it was too late and Leach grabbed Maddox's prod from where it had fallen onto the ground and used it as well as his own weapon to jam both of them simultaneously against the snarling brunet's back.

The effect was instantaneous. While one prod was painful in the extreme, not even Starsky could handle both charges ripping through his body. His whole frame spasmed in shock, his back arching until his head was almost touching his heels and a blood curdling scream was wrung from his throat as the doctor held the murderous instruments against his flesh until a smell of burned meat pervaded the air. The doctor watched in cool disregard as the knots of muscle and sinew stood out across Starsky's body and the brunet's face shone with sweat. He left the instruments in place for several seconds as the curly haired cop remained paralysed by the pain before finally removing them, reluctantly. As he took them away, the brunet's body shuddered and relaxed and with a final gasp if air, Starsky collapsed unconscious onto the top of the hunter.

Swiftly, Maddox crawled out from beneath the lithe body, stood up and took a vicious kick at the unconscious form. 'Fuckin' animal' he grunted, rubbing at his neck as though Starsky had really bitten him. His leg swung back again for another kick, but Leach stopped him.

'Don't damage it too much, it may alter the readings for the next experiment' he said calmly.

With a grunt, the hunter conceded the possibility. Maddox whistled for Boomer to pick up the inert form from the dust and while Talicia yelled after them, the four made their way back to the small operating room at the back of the Sheriff's office.

When Starsky awoke some time later pains coursed through every muscle in his body as he slowly opened one eye and took a cautious look around him. His heartbeat rose and he felt a panic welling up inside him as he realised he was once again back in Dr Leach's grip.

This time, the doctor had seen fit to secure the brunet to the dentists chair in the middle of the room, but not before stripping Starsky down to just his boxers. The black leather of the chair stuck to his overheated, sweating skin as he pulled ineffectually at the leather restraints holding his wrists to the arm rest and his ankles to the footrest of the chair. Another loop of leather was wrapped tightly around his chest, binding his upper body to the furniture and yet another band of the same material was wrapped tightly round his forehead, keeping his had firmly locked against the padded rest. With the restraints in place, Starsky had nowhere to go. There was no play in any of the straps and they bit sharply into his flesh and with his head anchored to the headrest, his vision was reduced to looking straight ahead.

At that moment Maddox came into view looking inordinately pleased with himself. He nodded to someone who was out of visual range and then looked back at the bound, and quite frankly terrified brunet.

'Don't bother pullin' on the straps. The leather is reinforced with metal, so even you won't be able to tear 'em.'

Starsky licked dry lips and tried to calm his breathing. He remembered Maddox and Leach had talked about a third experiment and he'd never felt more like a lab rat trapped in some weird maze than now. 'Where's Talicia?' he asked.

'Safe….for now. Depends on how we get along with you – how ya perform' Maddox explained.

'You leave her alone' Starsky growled.

'Or what? You'll cough on me or somethin'. From where I'm standin' you're pretty much tied down, just the way I like my wolves.'

Leach too came into the line of sight now. The doctor had his usual white cot on and was carrying a bunch of wires of varying colours, all with clear sticky pads on the ends of them. Without looking at the brunet, or communicating in any way, the doctor started to attach the leads one by one to Starsky's body. Two wires were stuck to the insides of his ankles, two to the insides of his wrists, as close to the restraints as the doctor could get them. Another two were taped to the brunet's temples and another three in a group on his chest around his heart. Two final leads were left and Starsky squirmed as the medic calmly pulled down the elastic of his boxers and stuck the final two leads to either side of his sack. He didn't bother pulling up the elastic and Starsky felt immediately exposed and even more vulnerable with the centre of his body on view.

'You're sick, ya know that' the brunet mumbled. 'What's this all about?'

Maddox grinned. 'This is the culmination of years of the doctor's experiments. Every wolf has a power. A power to heal themselves and a power that makes them stronger, faster. As you're well aware, you can see and hear better than you could before. All that power is a waste on filthy animals like your type, but it could be so much more. Dr Leach has spent a lifetime on research looking into how we can tap into and take that power. How we can store it and how we can use it. Why waste it on a filthy monster when we can bottle it and sell it to the highest bidder? Who wouldn't want a shot at eternal youth? Who wouldn't want to be faster and stronger? Just think of the implications. This could cure the sick, make cripples walk. It could enhance performance in athletes, an' it all comes from a fuckin' wolf. Think of yourself as a hero. You're contributin' to science like no-one ever has.'

'That's real noble of ya' Starsky grunted. 'An' you're tellin' me you're gonna give this away?'

'Give? Who said anythin' about giving? No, this is gonna be sold to the highest bidder! There's plenty out there who've got the money to pay.'

'And me?' Starsky asked quietly.

'Hmm, you. Well there's two ways to look at this. You can pray that the treatment fails, cos then there'll be less pain, or you can survive it, it works and you spend an eternity bein'……milked.'

Dr Leach mumbled something to Maddox who nodded and looked down at his prisoner. Starsky's breath was whistling in his throat. Torture he could handle, he dealt with flakes every single day of his working life, but this – this was in a while different league and he felt on the edge of losing it. Only the thoughts of saving Talicia kept his from going over the edge and plunging down into deep, dark insanity. Carefully, the brunet took a deep, calming breath, willing his heart to slow down its laboured pumping. Beside him, Leach was preparing a syringe.

'What's he gonna do?' the brunet asked, amazed that his voice was still fairly calm and level.

'He's going to inject you with a drug. You may have heard of it, in fact, that fuckin' witch Perry Turner has probably tried usin' it on you. Wolfsbane. The ancient texts say sometimes it can cure lycanthropy if a strong enough potion is used. Other times, a weak tea can calm a wolf down. Dr Leach here has discovered that given a sufficiently strong dose, the resulting reaction, whilst intensely painful to the recipient, stimulates the flow of your essence – your power and the machine you're wired up to is the doctor's own invention. It's a storage device of sorts. As your body struggles to deal with the toxin, it's going to milk your essence.

Starsky struggled to get himself free of the restraints. They were mad! He was trapped in a world of madness!

A few months ago everything had been normal. He chased a perp, the perp shot at him, he shot back. Arrest made. End of story. The good guys chased the bad guys and the bad guys ended up being punished. That was the order of the universe. Exactly as he should be. But now things were clouded. He was still the good guy, he was sure of that. Wolf or no wolf, Starsky was still first and foremost a cop, and a cop was a good guy.

Now, however, Maddox was convinced that HE was the good guy and that all wolves – Starsky included - were the bad guys. The lines of reality were blurred and Starsky was beginning to wonder what was and wasn't real. Months ago he was just an ordinary man, until that meeting on the beach with the beautiful Lya. Months ago, werewolves were relegated to the stories his Granddad used to read to him at bedtime. They lived in far off Eastern Europe and they were a myth. Now, however, his long held beliefs had been challenged and he was one of the very monsters his Granddaddy had read to him about. He was a wolf, and not just any wolf. He was destined to be Luprex of the Bay Pack, if he lasted that long.

Starsky tried to shrink away from the needle that was coming inexorably closer to the crook of his left arm. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening, but as the cold, sharp metal punctured his flesh and he felt the molten heat of the Wolfsbane start to flow into his body, the brunet realised sickeningly that this was, in fact, reality, and his last thought as the pains started was of Hutch and how he hoped the blond would come quickly to rescue him before it was too late.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Starsky's eyes closed and he panted through another set of pains as Leach pushed another dose of the Wolfsbane into his veins. This was the third massive dose in as many hours and each time the drug was forced into his body, the brunet arched off the chair, straining at the bonds holding him immobile as what felt like molten lava flowed through him.

The curly haired man had long since stopped screaming. His throat was raw and his voice had finally gone. The pains were too intense now to do anything other than to ball his hands into fists and endure the spikes of agony.

Each time another syringe full of the murderous liquid was pushed into his subject, the doctor would stand back, observing the results dispassionately and then move over to the machine to make minor adjustments to the knobs and dials. Twice now he nodded in satisfaction but said nothing and finally Maddox got up from his seat at the side of the room and wandered over, tired of his entertainment in watching the captive squirm beneath the onslaught of the drug.

'Is it working?' he finally asked as Leach looked up.

'The drug is doing its job, yes'

'But the essence – are you able to capture it?' the hunter asked impatiently.

'Difficult to say at this stage. I'm more interested in its reaction to the drug. It's certainly a strong subject, better than the others, but I still don't have anything registering on the machine.'

'Is he holding back?' Maddox asked, looking directly at the brunet.

'I'm not sure. They're tricky beasts. You could ask it.'

Starsky opened his eyes briefly, glaring at the two men, defiance and pain shining from his eyes.

'Well, are ya holdin' back on us? There's more where that came from' Maddox said, coming to stand by the chair.

'Fuck…..you' Starsky panted.

Maddox chuckled. 'It's you that's fucked. I'm not the one wired up to the machine. How's it feel? Describe it to me.'

The brunet closed his eyes, refusing to acknowledge the question. Starsky felt sick to his stomach. The drug left a nasty taste in his mouth and his head pounded as though it would split into two. His vision wavered when he opened his eyes and his body felt heavy and on fire, his limbs burning and his fingers and toes numb. There was a sickening, heavy sensation in the pit of his stomach and what felt like fire ants crawling through his veins leaving him wanting to spring from the chair and run. The feelings he had were like the feelings he had at the full moon, but intensified a hundred fold. If Maddox was closer, he would have tried to sink his teeth into the hunter's neck without another thought, but bound as he was, all Starsky could do was wait and endure.

Leach made another adjustment on the machine, reading and noting down numbers on the dials as Boomer came into the room and rushed over to Maddox. There was a hushed conversation and then Maddox whirled on the bound brunet, grabbing hold of Starsky round his throat.

'Oh you're gonna be so sorry' he hissed into the cop's face. 'what did ya do, signal to 'em or somethin'?'

'Who?' the brunet managed to gasp.

'Don't play the innocent. You know. That pretty blond partner of yours come snoopin' round. He thought he could make it up here without us knowin' abut it. Well he has another things comin'. Maddox looked at Boomer. 'Go get me the number an' bring it back. It's time Detective Hutchinson found out what happens when he starts fuckin' around with me.'

At the mention of Hutch's name Starsky's hopes rose. Hutch had come? Hutch knew where he was and he knew he was alive. Starsky had no doubts that the blond would do everything in his power to try to rescue both him and Tally, but Maddox had obviously found out that he'd been around and had taken a dislike to the idea. Retribution didn't sound too good and Starsky was already feeling weak and sick.

Boomer rushed from the small room just as Leach was about to fill yet another syringe full of the drug. Maddox shook his head. 'You're gonna have to make do with the readings you've taken so far. Hutchinson's gonna have a little conversation with his partner here – kinda warn him away. I want this one conscious enough to be able to talk.'

'Shame. I think I might have been getting somewhere. It's lasted a lot longer than the other ones. Are you sure I can't give it one more dose?' Leach asked, his spectacles flashing in the bright light.

'You can have him back afterwards, when he recovers' Maddox said. 'Right now, his ass is mine.'

As Starsky tried hard to deal with the pains still coursing through his body whilst still keeping his mind clear, Maddox took a telephone with a long cable, drew up a chair and sat cosily by the side of the dentists chair. Dr Leach moved away to the back of the room and busied himself with paperwork, seemingly unconcerned at the threats Maddox had made earlier. The hunter squinted at the piece of paper Boomer had given him and dialled up the numbers scrawled on it. He waited for a moment and then Starsky heard the phone line pick up and his partner's achingly familiar voice.

'Hutchinson.'

'Detective? You've been a bad boy, haven't you?' Maddox said evenly.

'What? Who is this?'

'Don't play the innocent. I'm the man who's got your partner. Remember him, the curly haired wolfman.'

'Maddox!' Hutch's voice sounded loud down the line. 'What have you done to him? Where's the girl, ya double crossing bastard?'

Carefully, Maddox reached over and took a hold of the brunet's family jewels. His hand wrapped round the complete package and started o squeeze until Starsky felt like his eyes would pop out of his head. Maddox kept up the pressure, wedged the telephone receiver between his knees and with the flat of his other hand, slapped at Starsky's balls. The brunet screamed, despite himself, jerking in the chair against his bonds and Maddox grabbed the phone again.

'Just a little reminder to be more civil' he grunted down the line.

'You leave him alone. You lay one more hand on him an' I'll….'

'You'll what, detective? You'll come snooping around my camp again? You'll come looking for a way to save your partner? Too late, he's mine, an' he's gonna stay mine for as long as he lives, which at the rate you're goin' won't be too much longer.'

'Ok, ok, I admit, we came to see, but I haven't done anythin'. You said not to try to rescue him an' I didn't. I just saw and then I went' Hutch said, trying desperately to calm the situation. He knew Starsky wouldn't have cried out like that unless he was in great pain, and he could only imagine what Maddox had done to him.

'Apology not accepted. You broke the rules, now he's gonna suffer for it.'

'NOO' Hutch yelled down the phone. 'Please, don't…..just lay off of him huh?....Please?'

'Don't beg buddy' Starsky yelled 'he's crazy.' Maddox cuffed him across the face with the back of his hand and Starsky felt his lip split. He glared angrily at the hunter but could do nothing more.

'Starsk? Starsky?' Hutch shouted down the phone. Rom the husky quality of his partner's voice, Hutch knew that the brunet was hurt and he longed to be able to ring Maddox's neck.

'He's a little tied up at the moment' Maddox said down the line. 'But he's gonna tell you himself that you should stay away, aren't ya Davey boy?'

'Fuck you' Starsky grunted. He licked at the trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth and glared defiantly at his captor.

'That aint what I want ya to say. Now, you tell Blondie to keep himself and the rest of them dirty wolves away, ya hear? Do it like a good boy an' I may keep Dr Leach away from ya for a few hours.'

'An' if I don't?' Starsky panted.

Maddox produced a wicked looking blade from the table behind him and held it up to the light. It gleamed dully as the hunter moved it from side to side, as though showing a priceless antique off to its best advantage. Starsky stared at it, mesmerised. He didn't need to be told that it was a silver blade, he knew Maddox rarely used anything else.

'If you don't, I can be very persuasive.'

'I aint gonna say nuthin' starsky said, his eyes never leaving the knife.

'Then prepare yourself' Maddox said. He took the phone and placed it against Starsky's ear with one hand. With the other, he held the blade to the brunet's chest. 'Tell your friend to stay the fuck away' Maddox ordered.

Starsky closed his eyes and shook his head, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the pain. Down the line he heard Hutch calling his name.

'Starsk, are ya there buddy? Starsky, talk to me.'

'Hutch…..'

'Oh my God buddy, what's he doin' at ya? Are you ok? Can ya talk?'

'Nope.'

Maddox laid the blade against Starsky's bare chest and the brunet hissed at the immediate burn. Hutch heard the sound and persisted. 'Starsk, talk to me buddy.'

'Tell him to leave you alone' Maddox said, pushing the blade more firmly in place. It sizzled against the brunet's skin and Starsky's fists closed around the arms of the chair as he fought to keep his voice level.

'Hutch….do what ya can.'

Maddox grunted and brought the knife down in a clean line, cutting his captive from mid chest to waist in one meat wound. Starsky fought for breath, the cut immediately burning and stinging at the same time. 'Tell him' Maddox snapped.

'Hut….sh……three sets of guards…….armed' the brunet grunted, trying to give Hutch as much information as possible. Another cut lay next to the first, the blood gleaming wetly as it started to flow from the twin incisions. Starsky groaned softly, angry at himself that he was letting the blond know how badly he was hurt.

'Starsky, he's hurtin' ya, I can tell. Shuddup. I can handle this' Hutch hissed urgently down the phone.

'Two more down …..the hill' the brunet continued as Maddox carved another bloody furrow into his chest. This time, he couldn't hold back and a scream was wrung from his lips as his head fell forward in exhaustion. Maddox ripped the phone from Starsky's ear and jammed it against his own.

'Hutchinson, right now, your buddy is bleeding to death. You got two choices. Either keep up with your crazy futile rescue attempt and be responsible for him suffering more before he dies, or back off and let um…..well let nature take its course huh?'

For a moment Hutch couldn't bring himself to say anything. His jaw muscles worked as he fought for composure. It had cost a lot for the brunet to give him the information he had and although he might promise Maddox one thing, there was no ay he would give up on trying to rescue his buddy.

'Fine, ok, just……just don't hurt him any more' the blond whispered into the phone. 'I'll back off, just let him be ok?'

'Aww, aint that sweet. Aint it amazin' how powerful friendship is….an' how weak it makes ya?'

'What abut the girl? What about Talicia?' Hutch asked. 'You said you'd let her go once you had Starsky.'

'Turns out my plans needed amending. Turns out, I need 'em both, so no deals there either Blondie. Now, I'll give you this final warning. Leave us alone. Don't snoop an' your friend might just live to see the next full moon.'

Maddox put the phone down with a grin. He took a handful of sweat soaked curls and pulled Starsky's head back. The brunet's eyes were closed, the pain of the incisions having tippled him over the edge into unconsciousness. Four bloody furrows marred the cop's chest and stomach and the blood flowed freely from them. Starsky gave a low, pitiful moan, but there was no other reaction. Maddox let the curly head fall back down and motioned to Leach.

'You may as well leave him where he is, he aint goin' anywhere, and by the time he recovers, I think it'll be time for the two love birds to get together, don't you? Maybe then, we might get some results.'

Leach nodded, but despite being a doctor he did nothing to aid the brunet or care for his injuries, and so as the sun slowly marched it's way around the room, the small pool of blood beneath the chair dried, crisped and began to flake as for the third time in as many days, the brunet's body started to heal itself.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Hutch replaced the telephone onto the receiver, his ace grey and his hand shaking. He'd heard his partner scream and knew it would take one helluva lot of force to be able to rip that sound from Starsky's throat, especially if the brunet knew that his partner was listening. That was the thing about the smaller man. Whilst always declaring that he hated soapy scenes and was not in the least bit "touchy feely" as he put it, Hutch had realised early on in their long partnership that Starsky would do anything – anything at all to cover up hurts and to make life easier and more bearable for Hutch. to be fair, the blond felt the same. It wasn't that thee was no honesty in their relationship, just an earnest drive to protect the other at all costs.

Now Hutch turned back to face the ring of anxious faces still gathered in Steiger's living room.

'He um…he found out some way that John an' me had been up the mountain. He um…he dddidn't like it much' the blond stammered showing a true reflection of just how rattled he'd been by the call.

'What did he say?' the judge asked quietly. Although Hutch was not strictly pack, the members had come to value the friendship and resources of both Hutch and Perry over the past couple of days.

'He said we should stay away otherwise Starsky pays. He um…..he. The bastard. Starsky's hurt, I could tell an' now Maddox is hurtin' him more.'

'And Tally?' Betty asked, her hands up to her face in shock.

'I think she's ok. Maddox didn't say an' he didn't put her on the phone. I mean, when we were up there we saw the two cages. Talicia was in one an' Starsk was in the other. Tally was sitting up, she didn't seem too bad. Maybe once he had my partner he left her alone' Hutch admitted bitterly.

'So what now?' John asked. The young man felt bad that the hunter's men had somehow spotted them and that it had cause his new leader even more pain.

'Now we get them back' Hutch said, his face like thunder. 'This ends here, now. We've waited long enough an' from what I heard, I don't know how longer Starsky can survive, we should never have waited so long as it is. If you want your Luprex, it's up to us to go get him.'

'But how?' Eddie asked. 'We've already said we're not fighters.'

'My friends and I have been working on the hex. It depends how many men we need to use it on, but I'm sure we can handle it. It clouds their minds and if we do it right – if we can get close enough, then we should be able to cast over a wide enough area' Perry explaine.

'Starsky managed to tell me. Their defences are. He said there were three sets of guards round the camp and a further two sets down the hill. With me an' John having been up there, they'll be extra vigilant. Can you do it honey?'

Perry grinned. 'So long as Gabby, the coven leader can come with me. Let me give her a call.'

While the woman was talking on the telephone, Hutch went into full cop mode. 'Ian, do you have any weapons in the house? Anything we can take up there to use?'

The judge nodded. 'We keep a small Beretta for self defence and I have a small stock of ammunition.'

'Great. Go get it an' make sure it's ok. We wouldn't want ya shootin' yourself by mistake' the blond grinned. Hutch took out his own Magnum and checked the barrel before stowing it back into his holster. 'Anyone else have a gun?'

Very shyly, Betty raised her hand. 'I used to belong to a rifle club. I um…..well I was pretty good in my day. I have a Winchester and I won first prize six years on the trot. The woman coloured slightly at her admission and Hutch's vision of a cauliflower haired lady sitting and knitting by the fireside was blown out of the water. He smiled encouragingly.

'Go get it Hon and make sure it's in working order.'

'It's in the car. Always is – under an old dog blanket.' Betty looked at the questioning faces staring unbelievingly at her. 'What? The racoons get my vegetables. I never shoot to kill them, just to scare them away.'

Hutch held up his hand. 'Ok, so let's take stock here. We have one Magnum, one Beretta and one Winchester toting pensioner along with Perry's hex.' Perry had just put the phone down and she came to stand by her man.

'Gabby is on her way. We'll need maybe five minutes once we're up there to get our stuff together and start the hex and after that, it'll all be up to you. As to your gun toting pensioner…' she smiled at the slightly embarrassed Betty '…..she's a Winchester toting wolf pensioner. That's makes all the difference.'

The blond nodded. 'Uh huh' he grinned, feeling better now that he had things on the move. 'Ok, so we take the other steeper route up the mountain. It's more risky, but…'

Perry put her hand up. 'Sorry to interrupt, but maybe if we're all going up there, we should use the direct route. Drop Gabby and me off half way up and we can work our magic from there and join you guys when you've got Dave and Tally. Surely they'll be expecting you to come up the back way, if that's how you got there last time?'

Hutch considered, nodding. 'Can you work the hex from there honey? I don't even now what a hex is.'

The woman smile. 'Like a spell, but leave that to us huh. Just concentrate on getting them back, I can give you a lesson in Wicca later.'

The blond looked around the room at the eager faces. This was it. This was his task force. He would have preferred to have gone in alone, but acknowledged that he needed help. This was no ordinary hostage situation and he wasn't going to be able to hunker down behind his car and talk through the loud hailer to Maddox. The man was mad, Hutch was sure of that now, and madmen called for desperate measures. Maybe taking a pack of werewolves up a mountain to be protected by a spell from his witch girlfriend might just be desperate enough. It was certainly something he could mesmerise his grandchildren with….if he survived that long.

The faces that looked back at him were expectant, eyes preternaturally bright and suddenly Hutch sensed a change in dynamics. In the absence of their Luprex, Hutch had unwillingly been thrown into the role of leader. He wasn't a wolf, and could never understand just what that was like for them, but now, focused and ready, the pack seemed to have grown in strength. Instead of grade teachers, judges and lawyers, he saw a band of people brought together by their abilities, all wanting and needing to get their missing pack members back into the fold, and something about this sudden show of solidarity and the sense of brotherhood made Hutch's heart jump in his chest. A tiny part of him actually envied his partner the belonging that being part of the pack could bring. He might never fully understand it, and would always be on the fringes of it, but in a tiny way, Hutch envied Starsky his place.

Pulling himself together, the blond sighed. 'Are we ready?' he asked, seeing the eager nods around the room. 'Great. Lets get to it, but we go in carefully ok? No sudden moves, no noise and for goodness sake, don't take any stupid chances. We want you out of their in one piece, is that clear? No heroics and don't get too excited.'

'Can we bite them?' John asked.

For a moment Hutch stared blankly at the young man, before John's face split into a grin.

'John, you can savage their kneecaps, juts so long as you're safe and we get Tally and my partner out of there. Are we ready?'

There was a chorus of "yeses" from the pack and together they moved out and got into the various cars on Steiger's drive. Perry got into Hutch's car and sat quietly for a second. She watched the tight muscles in the blond's neck and saw his jaw working as his hands fiddled with the keys in the ignition.

'We'll be fine' she said softly.

'Will we? They seemed so unfocused back there. These are teacher an' judges for fucks sake. I'd be worried about taking a strike team up there, let alone these guys. They have no training. It'll only take one false move and Starsk and Tally will pay the price.'

'They might not be highly trained cops love, but they are wolves. However you might see them now, they have speed and agility on their side, don't forget that. And you have a couple of kick ass witches on your side!'

The flaxen haired cop sighed deeply. 'I don't doubt you honey, I just hope it's enough.'

In convoy, the band of wolves, headed by one blond cop drive their way out of the city and up toward the hills. For the most part, Hutch and Perry drove in silence. As the blond glanced sideways at the woman, she had her eyes closed and seemed to be chanting under her breath, her hands dancing on her lap as she made beautiful, magical symbols in the air. Hutch didn't want to to interrupt her and could only imagine that this was some sort of preliminary to the hex she and Gabby would soon cast on the camp and so he kept quiet and allowed Perry to continue with her work.

As they started to climb up into the hills, another car joined them from a side road and Perry looked up briefly. 'Gabby' she said in explanation. 'Great. Now we can start in earnest.' Her eyes closed again and he hands started to work harder as she concentrated on the power she was conjuring and by the time Hutch and the rest had parked up at a convenient spot hidden by a stand of trees from the mountain top, the woman's face shone with a fine patina of perspiration.

The cars pulled up besides each other and one by one, the members of the pack got out. Hutch was amazed. Now that they were on the move and had a plan, they looked less like a random set of individuals brought together by a freakish disease and more like what they were – a pack of hunters, ready and on the warpath. Once everyone had assembled Perry introduced Gabby to the pack.

Hutch had always had a vision of a witch as being tall and willowy, with long flowing hair and pale skin - either that or a warty old hag flying around on a broomstick. Gabby came as a complete surprise to the blond when she got out of the car. She stood perhaps 5' tall and was a rotund and well padded. With an ample bosom and thick blond hair falling round her shoulders, she had a "mummsy" quality to her which belied the fact that she was one of the most skilled witches in California. She smiled at everyone and shook Hutch's hand and the blond immediately felt something like an electric current surging through his system. He smiled down at the tiny woman as he saw a tiny frown flit across her pretty face.

'Pleased to meet you' Hutch mumbled

'And I'm pleased to meet you all too. I believe we have a job to do here. We should get to it.'

Perry stood by Hutch side and reached up to put her hand around the back of his neck. She drew him down to her and kissed him deeply on the lips. 'Be careful' she whispered. 'I want you back in one piece, along with Dave and Tally.'

'Careful is my middle name honey' he smiled back. Now that they were on the mountain, he was itching to get going and as he gathered the pack around him and started to set off up the mountain, the two witches sat down on a convenient boulder and put their heads together. As Hutch started to lead the group off, however, Gabby looked up and called him over.

The witch drew him to one side, away from the others, her face troubled.

'May I give you some advice? I know you have no reason to trust me as we've just met, but still….'

The blond looked down into her earnest eyes. Something about this tiny woman made him feel safe and comfortable and he nodded his accent. 'Sure' he said.

'Whatever happens up there, whatever goes on, you must trust your friend. He's a powerful man and a powerful wolf, I can feel that from here. Even if it looks like there's no hoe, trust him. Trust him with your life Hutch, remember that.'

The cop smiled. 'he's my partner, I always do.'

'This is different. Tonight he's wolf, not cop, but still trust him Hutch. Your life is in his hands. Now go.'

Hutch looked down at the woman feeling strange. His life was in Starsky's hands? Surely she had that backwards. It was he who was the rescuer after all. Shrugging and not having time to argue. Hutch squeezed her hand, blew a final kiss to Perry, and started off up the slope.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Maddox and Leach watched Starsky as he fought for breath and squirmed against his bonds. The healing fever had once again taken a hold of the brunet and he was hot, the sweat spiking his eyelashes and making his chocolate coloured curls cling to his forehead as his cheeks bloomed red. With the bonds still holding him almost immobile to the dentists chair, and the wires still connecting him to the doctor's machine, Leach felt it only prudent to continue monitoring his subject to see what effects the fever might have on this nebulous thing called his essence.

Remarkably, the Wolfsbane drug seemed to have enhanced the brunet's healing abilities. Starsky's body was in overdrive and the bloody furrows down his torso seemed to be healing right before Dr Leach's eyes as the cop tossed and moaned in the clutches of his delirium. More than once he called for Hutch, the fingers of his left hand curling around empty air s he seemed to be reaching for the comforting blond presence. Occasionally his eyes would crack open a little, crescents of indigo blue showing beneath swollen hot lids, but for the most part Starsky was lost in a waorld of heat and pain and loneliness.

It was not for a few hours before the fever spiked and then broke and only then did Starsky feel any relief at all from the power of the healing. For some reason, as consciousness flowed slowly back into his cramped limbs and the cool of the room pervaded the heat of his body, the brunet felt a surge of power like none he'd felt before. In all the time that he'd been captive, he'd sensed only Talicia close by. He'd welcomed her presence although he would have preferred that Maddox had let her go, but still, the lover's touch and the soothing words had been balm to both his body and soul, but now it felt as though he were wrapped in a warm cocoon of friendship and love.

Not that it came from the room, of course. The minute that Dr Leach detected a fall in the brunet's core temperature, he punched buttons on the phone and summoned the hunter back to the room. As Maddox walked in, scratching comfortably at his belly and yawning, Leach motioned to the bound captive.

'Its awake. Its fever broke a while ago and right now its pretending to be asleep. I think while its still recovering we should bring the bitch in. the machine is registering a surge of power. If we mate them now, I think we may have our solution.'

'You mean we can milk him?' Maddox asked.

'I think so. if we keep him connected to the machine, I don't see why not. We just need the bitch in here now. Do we know if she's on heat?'

'Who knows?' the hunter mused. 'Hold on, let me have Boomer and T-Bone bring her in.' the big man went to the door and summoned the two heavy set goons. 'Go bring the woman in here now. And be careful. Keep her at arms length and keep her chained, we don't want any mishaps.'

The two men grinned at each other, They'd been longing to get their hands on the beautiful woman since their boss had captured her. The night they'd caught her, she'd fought like the wof she way and finally T-Bone had backhanded her across the face, sending her sprawing to the ground. Like a dog on heat himself, he'd seen him opportunity and while Tally was sill recovering from the blow, he'd wedged her onto her hands and knees, pulled up her skirt and was kneeling behind her unzipping himself when Maddox stopped him. T-Bone had hardly been able to forgive his boss from stopping his fun, and now the idea of at least being able to paw at the woman again made his mouth water. The two set off with alacrity whilst Maddox walked back into the room and slapped Starsky hard across the face.

'Wake up sunshine. Time for some real fun to begin' he said without preamble.

Starsky opened one eye warily. His throat was on fire, so parched it was almost closed and he had difficulty forming words. 'Drink?' he managed to croak awkwardly.

'Well I guess if you're gonna perform we can do that for ya.' Maddox got a cup of water and held it to the brunet's lips. Starsky sipped the cool fluid, feeling it trickle down the back of his throat like liquid satin. Maddox allowed him a couple more sips before throwing the rest in the cops face and backing away.

The drink revived Starsky slightly and he opened his eyes fully, still unable to look around properly with the leather bad clamped tightly round his head. As he waited, he heard a commotion behind him and Talicia's contemptuous voice telling someone to back off and not to lay their dirty hands on her. The two men brought the bound woman into the room and stood her in front of the chair.

Starsky looked into the woman's eyes, seeing defiance and concern shining back at him.

'Dave, what are they doing to you?' she asked, ignoring the two men. With the chain around her neck, she looked a savage beauty and the brunet's body responded to her presence.

'We were just playin' around' he said, trying to make light of the situation, although his voice was husky and dry and he knew he looked like shit.

Talicia turned on her captors. 'Let him loose. What are you doin' this for? Why us? We've done nothing to you. Lay one ore finger on him and…'

Maddox coldly took one step forward and backhanded Talicia across her face. She stumbled sideways but remained upright and refused to cry out. When she did look at the hunter, her eyes were preternaturally bright and her face shone with anger and power. 'You're making a mistake' she said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. 'You have me, let him go.'

'I want the both of you' Maddox said. 'I need the both of you, and I need you together.'

'Why?' she asked.

'So that we can harness your power, my dear. Only the Luprex and Queen can give me what we need.'

'He isn't Luprex yet.'

'But he soon will be' Maddox replied calmly. 'Correct me if I'm wrong, but in order for the leader to take up his rightful position he should mate with the Queen.'

'And your point?' Tally asked coldly.

'My point is that we have you both here, so why wait for your freakin' ceremony. What you need to do, you can do right here, right now.'

'No way' Starsky yelled. 'You're a fuckin' pervert!'

'And you're in no position to argue, curly tops. We do this, and we do it now. Times a wastin' as they say.'

'You're crazy' the brunet said, struggling against his bonds. We aint animals. You're sick! You're a sick bastard.'

Maddox ignored the brunet's outburst and turned his attention to Talicia. 'Over to you honey.'

Talicia's face held a curious expression as she regarded the hunter and the doctor. Boomer and T-Bone stood at the back of the room, openly salivating at the prospect of the show.

'Never' she said bluntly.

'Wanna bet?' Maddox grunted and produced the same silver bade he'd had previously. This time, he tipped the chair back until it was almost horizontal and placed the blade against the brunet's immobile neck. The blade sizzled against the sweat slick skin and Starsky hissed softly at the burn. 'Do it, or I sever his head from his neck, an' not even a Luprex could heal that one' the hunter grunted, the point of the silver blade just nicking the olive toned skin of the brunet's neck. A thin trickle of blood started to wend it's way down towards Starsky's collar bone and Tally took a step forward.

'Don't do it Hon. Don't. I won't….I um….can't anyhow' the curly haired cop hissed, indicating the state of his crotch.

Talicia locked eyes with her lover and something in them made Starsky take notice. There was no fear there. Indignation, yes, and a certain amount of anger, but there was also a calmness that the brunet couldn't understand, but the look stopped him from questioning too much.

Maddox grinned and licked his lips. 'I have somethin' that'll take care of that' he said and produced a small ampoule of brown liquid. 'Sniff this and you wouldn't be able to keep it down with a ton weight attached to it.'

'I'm not doing anything with an audience' Tally said with dignity. 'It's bad enough we have to do this now, but you leave us no alternative. I just want to ask you one last time. Do you know what you're doing? Do you really know?'

Maddox nodded and the doctor went back to stand by his machine.

'Boomer, T-Bone, get out an' make sure we aint disturbed' the hunter growled.

'Aww boss! Can't we….'

Maddox fixed them with a glare. 'I said get out, unless ya want me to shoot ya here an' now' he yelled. The two men looked uncomfortable, as though they wanted to argue, but both knew the hunter's temper was legendary and so meekly, they shuffled out of the room and closed the door behind them, leaving only Maddox, Leach, Talicia and Starsky.

'Tally don't do this Hon. You don't need to do this' Starsky moaned as the woman came closer to him. He could feel the heat of her body against him and softly, she reached down and stroked a finger down his cheek, caressing his skin just below the ugly leather band across his brow holding his head to the chair.

'Sssh, it'll be ok my love. Close your eyes for me, and relax.'

'We got an audience, how they hell am I supposed to relax?' the brunet snapped, his angry eyes glaring at Maddox. With the wires still attached to his arms, legs, head chest and most irritatingly his genitals, Starsky had never felt less like making love, even if it was to one of the most beautiful women he'd ever known.

Talicia, however, seemed to have other ideas and slowly, as though not realising the two other men were in the room, she climbed up onto the chair and straddled her lover, so that Starsky felt the heat of the centre of her body resting over his cock. Even with tally so close however, the situation was so alien and so fraught that there was no way that he felt he could respond to her kisses and touches. Maddox, however, took the law into his own hands and while he still held the knife to the brunet's neck with one hand, with the other, he broke the top off the small glass ampoule and stuffed it under Starsky's nose.

With the first whiff of the amyl nitrate, Starsky's body sprang to life. There was no way the brunet could stop his cock from stiffening and Talicia felt its hardness beneath her. Ignoring the an sitting next to them, she bent down and whispered in Starsky's ear, so low that Maddox couldn't hear.

'I'm doing this for us. Maddox doesn't know the power he's unleashing. Please don't think bad of me.'

The brunet moaned. His groin ached from the unbelievable pressure the drug was causing. He had no free will any more. All he wanted to was to sink himself into the warm tunnel waiting above him. He thrust the centre of his body up against Talicia, wishing his hand were free so that he could hold her and comfort her and make love to her as he longed to do. Without the perverted audience and without the wires and restraints.

He nodded once and Tally took it as her signal. Rising up, she positioned herself above her lover and slowly slid down onto his body with a sigh. She paused, waiting for her body to accustom itself to the intruder. Starsky was big and his size took her breath away for a moment, but soon she began to move, her body settling into a rhythm as Starsky became lost in a world of pleasure, ripples of excitement shooting through his core as he moaned her name aloud. In his mind he was on the beach again, holding Talicia in his arms and stroking her long chestnut hair as she kissed him passionately.

By their side, ignoring the moments of passion, the doctor stood observing the dials and switches on his machine while Maddox watched open mouthed as the woman made love to the captive man.

Her movements soon started to pick up speed as the brunet responded to her body and not wanting to prolong the experience with the audience any longer than necessary, Talicia gave a final grind of her hips, sending Starsky over the edge.

They climaxed together, by Maddox was unprepared for the shock wave of power that filled the room. It took all of them unawares, Starsky especially as the air around the two lovers filled with light and crackling electricity. The brunet opened his mouth and howled his surprise and shock and above him, Talicia cried out in ecstasy, he body trembling with the powers running through them both.

Maddox was thrown bodily from his chair and Leach was knocked down by the power of Tally and Starsky's union and in that moment, the brunet opened startled luminous blue eyes and looked up into his lover's face. Talicia appeared to be haloed in light and she gently got off of her lover as she bent and whispered in his ear.

'You have the power My Lord, break free and lets' take them now, while we have the chance.

Even as Starsky gave a titanic pull and the bonds around his wrists and ankles snapped, just outside the town, the various members of the pack stopped, their eyes on the camp as they too felt the power of the coupling. One by one they nodded and smiled.

Today the Bay pack had their new Luprex.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Starsky had never felt a power like the one flowing through his veins. He felt invincible, stronger than he ever had. His residual pains from Dr Leach's treatment had vanished in that one titanic orgasm and in their place was a feeling of wellbeing such as he'd never experienced before. The sensations left him slightly breathless and at his side Talicia too was coming to terms with her new found powers.

She looked up at him and smiled shyly as Maddox and Leach recovered themselves and bolted for the door.

With Starsky's arms and feet free, it was the work of a moment to snap the restraints around his chest and duck out of the hold of the head band. They left only red marks where minutes before had been ugly, bloody, raw welts and he looked down at his body, mesmerised. The curly haired cop ripped the wires from around his body and stood, slightly shakily as he looked around him.

'What a fuckin' ride' he whispered.

'Oh yeah' Talicia said with a grin. 'You could say that again.'

'You knew?'

'I knew what Lya had told me. I knew that we would share power and that it would grow, but I never realised it felt quite so….amazing, or just how I'd feel afterwards.'

'But you didn't see fit to tell me?' Starsky asked, heading for his jeans which were dumped in a corner of the room.

'I couldn't tell you without letting Maddox know. I had my suspicions that you'd be able to break free, but how could I have told you without him knowing. It was the element of surprise' Tally said, slightly breathlessly.

The brunet zipped up his jeans and pulled the woman to him passionately kissing her on the lips. 'I love you' he hissed.

'I love you too, I'm just sorry that we had to do that here, now. The ceremony is so much more romantic.'

'I bet, but not half as much fun huh?' the cop replied. He stood by the open doorway and looked outside, suddenly serious about their chance at escape. Immediately he sniffed the air and grinned.

'Not a moment too soon. I think the cavalry might be comin' up over the hill' he said, ducking back inside the room.

'You do?'

'Uh huh. I can smell Hutch's aftershave on the wind. They're here, the whole pack.'

Talicia joined him at the entrance to their torture chamber. 'I can feel them too. C'mon, we should go meet them.'

The two made their way cautiously outside, hugging the side of the building and keeping to the shadows just in time to see Maddox disappearing around the corner of the building. With no guns or other weapons other than his strength and speed at his disposal, Starsky pushed the woman behind his back and started to follow, his bare feet making no sound on the hard, dry, dusty earth. As they too rounded the corner, all hell broke loose.

Eddie and Ian were the first to run into the camp. The women and children who lived in the wooden houses along the main street ran out, screaming as they ran for the far edge of the village. Some of the men, T-Bone included had their own weapons and now, as Betty and her Winchester hove into view, a round of shots fired off into the crowd. The pack dispersed, splitting up and going after their own individual targets as Hutch's flaxen head came into sight, running interference for John, who had a small pistol pointing straight out in front of him.

Starsky had chance to wave once at his partner before Hutch had to dive for cover behind a rain barrel. Starsky pulled Tally behind him as the blond's Magnum roared to life and one of the men from the camp fell to the ground clutching his leg. The blond head reappeared above the rain barrel and Starsky stuck his thumb up, signifying that the flaxen haired cop had found his target.

In the distance, Ian and Eddie were both running after Dr Leach, whose white coat was flapping untidily in the breeze as he bolted for the cover of the trees behind the camp and Starsky started to walk towards his partner, arms open in embrace as Hutch clambered up from his hiding place.

'What kept ya?' the brunet asked, enfolding his buddy in a tight bear hug.

'We stopped to admire the wild flowers and do a squirrel census on the way up. You seemed to have it covered' the blond said, glad to have his arms around the brunet again.

'Yeah we um…..we were having a blast' Starsky said as Talicia snorted softly behind him. 'What is this? Hutch's army? What happened to the respectable lawyers an' judges huh? And was that Betty I saw with a rifle as big as she is?'

'They were galvanised into action when Maddox made his little call. You had me shaken for a while there buddy. I thought you were in pain, but…' Hutch pushed his partner away gently so that he could see properly. '….you seem to be good.'

'It's a long story, but….'

'He's got all the time in the world to tell it' a familiar rough voice called from the corner of the building to their right. The three spun round and stared right down the barrel of a large Lee Enfield rifle held my Maddox. The hunter had them all in his sights and was now training his gun on Starsky's chest.

'Nice an' easy, move away from each other, hands where I can see 'em. Drop the Magnum, Blondie' the hunter snarled.

Hutch studied the big man contemptuously, feeling Starsky tense at his side. Slowly and carefully, the blond dropped his gun onto the floor.

'Kick it over here, no sudden moves.'

Again the blond did as he was bid and stood, hands at his sides, waiting for someone to make a move.

'What're ya gonna do Maddox? It's over' Starsky said softly. 'You're whole fuckin' world is over. Let it go. Let us go huh?'

'After I've come so close? Never. I'm the one with the rifle trained on ya, I give the orders, and right now, I'm orderin' ya back to the room. We got an experiment to finish.'

'What's he talkin' about?' Hutch asked quietly.

'Oh he an' I had a cosy little time last night. He's a sicko. I think he gets off an seein' guys in pain.'

'I get off on the idea of sellin' you to the highest bidder' Maddox growled. 'Now move, hands where I can see 'em.'

'Fine' the brunet said and started to walk quietly towards the hunter. Maddox backed up, his rifle still following Starsky's progress, but as the three got level with the hunter, suddenly Starsky lashed out with his foot, catching Maddox on the shin. The big man crumpled, grunting as Hutch rushed forward to grab his gun. Maddox was faster, however and his fingertips snatched the weapon from the blond's grasp just as Hutch reached for it. Before Starsky or Talicia could do anything to stop him, Maddox had brought the rifle up to his shoulder and had fired point blank at the flaxen haired cop's chest.

Hutch was blown backwards by the force of the blast and landed in the dust on his back, his arms flung wide and his eyes staring in surprise as Starsky rushed towards him

'HUUUUUUTCH!' the smaller man yelled, torn between going to his obviously seriously injured partner or going after Maddox.

'He's mine, you see to Hutch' Talicia yelled as she started to sprint after the hunter's fleeing back. Maddox looked over his shoulder and started to run up the street as Talicia followed him, her legs pounding the compacted earth as she had her antagonist in her sights. The hunter let out a strangled cry as he stumbled, twisting his ankle in a rut in the road, righting himself and setting off again towards the edge of the town.

Tally was hot on his heels now, so close she could smell the sweat of his fear and as he reached the rocky outer limits of the small camp, she sprang forward, knocking her quarry down and straddling his back as she took a handful of his hair and pulled him round to stare him in the face.

Maddox looked up into the face not of a beautiful young woman, but into the snarling countenance of an avenging Queen Wolf. Tally was lost in her haze of anger and without thinking, she put her hands round the hunters' throat and started to squeeze, cutting off his rasping breath. The man struggled, inflaming her pack instincts and she knelt over him, scenting his blood.

Maddox tried to pull the rifle free from its place sandwiched between their two bodies. He pulled the hot metal from its place between them and tried to pull the unwieldy weapon into a position from where he could fire it.

The sight of the gun and Maddox struggles tipped Tally over the edge. Not only had this man taken her and beaten her, he'd tortured and hurt her love, he'd forced her to make love to him and then he'd shot Hutch. The feelings of her new found power were too awesome to fight and giving into her instinct, she gave a roar of fury, bent down and closed her jaws around Maddox's throat. The hunter gave a final mewling sob and as she tore at his flesh, the light winked out in his eyes.

Immediately Talicia stopped. This was a kill, no feast and as she got up shakily from the dead body, she shook with emotion. Unable to bring herself to look at the evil man, she took a hold of Maddox's body and tipped it over the edge of the mountain not stopping to hear the body bounce off the rocks on its way down. She staggered back, falling onto her knees as weariness suddenly overwhelmed her and tears began to flow.

Back at the camp, Starsky ran to Hutch's side and he too fell to his knees as his hands hovered millimetres over the blond's body. Hutch was gasping, his mouth opening and closing as though fighting to get air into his lungs. His crystal blue eyes were open wide and fear glowed in them as they came to rest on Starsky's.

'Hutch, buddy….no, don't try to move. Just let me check you over huh?' the brunet said, trying to keep his voice low and even.

'Ssssstarssssk.' The blond's hand clutched at thin air, grabbing for his partner's touch. Starsky took the hand and held it while with his left he pulled the red soaked material away from the jagged wound on the upper left of the blond's chest. Blood was coursing from the jagged hole to run down Hutch's side, pooling into the dusty ground and in a reflex, the brunet jammed his hand over it, trying to stem the flow of blood.

'How…..bad?' Hutch's eyes closed and his body trembled.

'It's um…. I won't lie buddy. It's not too good. He's blown your shoulder wide open. You're bleedin' too much. I can't stop it.' Starsky's voice cracked with emotion and he looked around for help. The other pack members were herding the camp members together, or were busy with minor skirmishes on the fringes of the settlement. Talicia and Maddox were nowhere in sight, and neither was Dr Leach.

'S….ok…..jeez……hate t'go……like this.'

'You're not goin' nowhere, ya hear?'

Hutch's eyes opened and focused on his partner's. He coughed and bloody spittle stained his lips. 'Can….see it in……eyes. Not …… gonna……make it' the blond managed to gasp painfully.

'Hutch don't leave me. Don't you dare leave me. I'm not gonna let ya go buddy. Not here, not like this.'

Hutch's blood stained lips struggled into a smile. 'Don't have…..option. Ssssorrry.' The blond head fell sideways and the bigger man let out a sigh of pain.

'Hutch, Hutch!' the panic in Starsky's voice brought the blond back from the edge.

'Ssstill here….hurts….. Sssstarsssk…… 'urts. Can't…..do this….sorry.'

'No, don't go. Hutch, please don't go. There's a way. I can save ya, there's a way, but you have to give me permission.'

'Huh?'

'Hutch I can save ya, I know I can. Hutch? HUTCH, Blondie! Oh Jesus noooo.' The brunet laid his partner gently down and searched frantically for a pulse. He found it, weak, unsteady, the injured heart missing beats as it struggled to continue beating. Desperately, Starsky shook his partner's shoulder gently.

'Hutch, I can do this, but I didn't want to force ya. It's the only way buddy. It's the only way to save you, but God help me, will you ever forgive me?'

Taking a deep breath, and knowing he was sealing his partner's fate even as his own had been sealed, Starsky leaned down close to the blond's neck, his right hand over the massive damage on Hutch's chest. He could feel the life leaving the blond and knew he could stall no longer. Closing his eyes, he placed his hand more firmly over Hutch's heart and placed his lips over Hutch's neck. Without waiting another minute, he bit down over the blond's jugular, feeling the hot, salty blood flow into his mouth at the same time as Starsky's power started to flow into Hutchs' chest.

And there they stayed, frozen in time as around them the pack started to regroup. Eventually, Talicia joined them and looked down sorrowfully as stiffly, Starsky got up from his cramped position. He'd shared blood with his partner in the only way he knew how to save Hutch's life and now he had such mixed feelings that he didn't know what to say.

Talicia knelt besides him and took his hand as she watched the blond breathing easier, colour returning to his face and lips.

'I didn't know what else to do' the brunet said hoarsely, his eyes pained.

'You did the right thing my love. He would have died otherwise.'

'I know, but still, I didn't want to impose this on him, it should have been his choice.'

'You did what you had to do to save your friend's life, what else was there to do? He'll thank you for it, I know he wouldn't want to leave you.'

Starsky smiled sadly. 'But would he have chosen to live with the infection? Would he have chosen to become wolf?'


	22. Chapter 22

**Epilogue**** – two weeks later**

Starsky and Talicia sat on the sand by the water's edge. The night was warm, balmy and there was a cool breeze, ruffling their hair as they sat close together, arms linked and Talicia's head on the brunet's shoulder.

Since the day at Rock Ridge, they had hardly been apart. At first there had been the clear up operation to do and Tally's admission that she'd killed Maddox. Although the group were in shock, when they thought clearly about it, it seemed the best for everyone. Starsky's true identity as a werewolf had been a closely guarded secret from the Metro. Not even Dobey or Huggy knew about his lycanthropy and now they had a new worry – Hutch too had been infected.

_When Perry and Gabby had made it back up the mountain after finishing up their hex, Perry had been distraught to find her lover at deaths' door with the pack gathered around. Starsky had been beside himself with grief and remorse, not knowing whether to be thankful that he'd saved Hutch's life or full of anger at the way he'd had to do it._

_Perry had soothed the brunet, telling him he had no choice and that Hutch would understand, but truthfully Starsky had wondered about just how understanding the blond would be. The woman stayed by her man as they brought Hutch down off the mountain and she and Starsky took the still unconscious man back to their beach house._

_That night, the healing fever took him and shook him awake, crying out in pain and also in confusion and for once, the brunet couldn't find it within himself to be there for his buddy. Instead, it was Perry who kept vigil, changing Hutch's sheets, putting cold cloths on his brow and redressing the rapidly healing wound on his shoulder. By the next morning, hutch was once more awake, and asking to see Starsky._

_The brunet felt uncomfortable in the extreme going into Hutch's room. Calm clear crystal blue eyes regarded him levelly as he stood just inside the doorway._

'_I owe you my life' Hutch said simply._

'_You owe me nuthin. Don't thank me till you've been through your first moon. Hutch, I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to ask you for permission, but there was no time.'_

_The blond hitched himself up in the bed, wincing at the pull of the wound, although it as almost healed. 'C'mere. I need you to understand somethin'.'_

_Slowly Starsky walked over and perched on the side of the bed. 'I would have done the same for you buddy. I know how it feels, watching while my partner hovers between life an' death. I had it when you were shot, and right then I'd have done anything to bring you back. I didn't have your power then. I never had the option, but do you think for one minute I'd have hesitated if I had have had?'_

'_I guess not, but….'_

'_No buts. I thank you, from the bottom of my still beatin' heart' Hutch said sincerely. 'Now go an' be with Tally, ya big lummox. You an' she have a pack to run.'_

_Starsky grinned. 'Lumox huh? I'll have you know I'm now officially your leader. A little more respect, if ya don't mind' he said with a snort. 'God knows what we're gonna tell Dobey!'_

Starsky kissed Talicia softly. 'We should be getting back' he said.

'Why rush? It's an age since we've seen the full moon like this. Lets' just take some time to enjoy it huh? It's too nice a night to be indoors.'

Starsky looked up at the moon and sighed. One of the benefits of being Luprex, he came to realise. With the added responsibility came added power. He was no longer at the mercy of the moon. Now he could choose to change if and when he liked and the new found freedom left him breathless.

'I should go check on Blondie. It's his first moon an' I felt like shit lockin' him into that cage.'

'He'll learn to cope' Tally said softly, pulling her man down to the sand. 'Just give him a while.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Back at the beach house, Perry took time to prepare herself. She'd thought long and hard about this and had come to the conclusion that she wanted to be with Hutch for always. She loved the man and wanted to share everything with him. Nw she brushed her hair, slipped on a long flowing white gown and made her way down to the basement.

She could hear Hutch pacing his cage even before she opened the door and as she walked in the blond looked up, and backed up to the far bars of the cage.

'Stay away' he said, his normally silky voice changed by the wolf blood in his system. 'Don't come any closer, I can't control this, I don't wanna hurt you' he gasped.

But Perry smiled, walking confidently to the cage. She unlocked the door, stepped inside and closed it behind her, throwing the key back out into the middle of the room.

'You won't hurt me my love. I want you to take me. Make me yours, I want to share this with you for always. Slowly, she slipped off the gown and stood naked in front of the mesmerised blond. He trembled with emotion.

'Are you sure?' he asked

'Never more so' she whispered as she drew him to her and felt the first kiss of his teeth against her neck.

------fin------

**My dear friends. Writing has been a roller coaster ride for me, with many highs and lows. Now for the first time, the low is the lowest it has ever been. I have lost all to my writing which has become an addiction. My job, my family, my life. All are in jeapardy and I have a choice to make. My husband, who has stuck with me through thick and thin is my rock, my life and I cannot tread the road of my life without him.**

**It is with sadness then, that i finish this story.**

**I thank you all for reading the words that have dripped from my laptop. It has been a joy to meet you all. There is one more story as yet unfinished. I have no heart to complete it, neither do I have the words. Some day, maybe, i will publish "To Have and To Hold", but until then**

**This is Kirsty Welsh signing off.**


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